Sure, stand-up comedy makes us laugh, but that's not its only purpose. Comics use the stage to make arguments and express bigger picture world-views, getting people to laugh in the process of making deeper points. In Funny You Should Mention, a new comedy series from Mike Pesca and The Comedy Cellar, Mike spends an hour with each comic, seeking to identify a broader thesis, and pressing comics to put a finer point on their arguments. Funny comes first, but it's ideas that are explored on Funny You Should Mention.
Today on The Gist, guest host Vanessa Quirk steps in to share a previously unaired interview between Mike Pesca and Irish American comedian Des Bishop. Bishop traces his trajectory from a Queens childhood and teenage modeling gig to moving to Ireland at fourteen, getting sober at nineteen, and eventually rising to become one of Ireland's top touring comics. He and Mike discuss the differences between Irish storytelling comedy and the punchier American club scene, how social media algorithms now dictate stand-up, and why navigating generational shifts and Gen Z triggers requires bridging the gap rather than just starting a fight.
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Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com (mailto:thegist@mikepesca.com)
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ (https://www.mikepesca.com/)
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ (https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/)
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ (https://mikepesca.substack.com/)
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ (https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/)
X https://x.com/pescami (https://x.com/pescami)
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist (https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist)
To advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com
10 Jul 2026
Funny You Should Mention: Jeff Arcuri
Today on The Gist, its Funny You Should Mention with stand-up comedian Jeff Arcuri, whose crowd-work proficiency anchors his new Netflix special. Arcuri counters comedy purists by framing audience interaction as a structured illusion, detailing how his early years navigating gatekeeping open mics in Michigan and grinding out repetitive sets on Carnival cruise lines forced him to develop a deep toolkit of ready-to-go punchlines. He also reflects on his whirlwind romance and quick marriage to his wife, a former Bachelorette contestant, and opens up about navigating her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com (mailto:thegist@mikepesca.com)
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ (https://www.mikepesca.com/)
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ (https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/)
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ (https://mikepesca.substack.com/)
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ (https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/)
X https://x.com/pescami (https://x.com/pescami)
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist (https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist)
To advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com
26 Jun 2026
Funny You Should Mention: Graham Kay
A new Funny You Should Mention with Canadian comedian Graham Kay. He discusses his moving new stand-up special, Pete and Me, which maps his life alongside his autistic brother. Kay shares the chaotic story of his 2011 deportation from America after a sarcastic graffiti arrest in Brooklyn, detailing how his brother's literal interpretation of a jailhouse phone call left him stranded in central booking. He also opens up about the deep, exhausting divisions within the neurodivergent community, pushing back against high-functioning advocates who seek to erase the "disabled" label at the expense of families managing severe, life-altering conditions
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com (mailto:thegist@mikepesca.com)
For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ (https://www.mikepesca.com/)
For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ (https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/)
For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ (https://mikepesca.substack.com/)
Follow us on Social Media:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ (https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/)
X https://x.com/pescami (https://x.com/pescami)
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist (https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist)
To advertise on the show, contact sales@amplitudemediapartners.com
Who has been a guest on Funny You Should Mention
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Liza Treyger
Jay Jurden
Mohanad Elshieky
Myq Kaplan
Dusty Slay
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
183,321
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
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