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Judd Apatow Returns to Stand-up Comedy Dec 11, 2017

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Director/writer/producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Funny People, Trainwreck) talks about his lifelong love of comedy and how Amy Schumer got him to return to stand-up after a 25 year absence from the stage. He shares some advice to young comedy writers, gives his take on Hollywood’s sexual harassment problem, and talks about fatherhood and his marriage to actress Leslie Mann. Plus Judd Apatow discusses the tao of Gary Shandling, "stalking" Steve Martin, and what to do when Kermit the Frog thinks you’re unlovable.

Judd Apatow's Netflix comedy special Judd Apatow: The Return is available starting Tuesday, December 12. Follow him on twitter at @JuddApatow. Today's episode is sponsored by Grasshopper. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Dan Rather on Patriotism, the Press, and the Values that Unite Us Dec 07, 2017

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Legendary newsman Dan Rather talks about his 60 year career and how his travels and conversations have given him a “wide shot” of the American experience and the values that unite us. He condemns recent attacks on some on those values (including freedom of the press), he shares his own family's experience during the Great Depression as a lesson in empathy, and he recalls how his time spent with men like Martin Luther King Jr. and Medger Evers opened his eyes to institutionalized racism in America. He talks frankly about how his own thinking has evolved on some social issues, and he weighs in on the recent rash of sexual harassment scandals that have rocked the news business. He discusses a few of the dozen Presidents he’s known in his 60 years as a journalist and reveals the one word that has always carried Dan Rather through good times and bad.

Order Dan Rather's book WHAT UNITES US: REFLECTIONS ON PATRIOTISM on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible. Follow him on twitter at @DanRather or at www.newsandguts.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by iFit Nourish. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Lawrence O'Donnell on the Lasting Impact of the 1968 Election Dec 04, 2017

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For Lawrence O’Donnell, host of MSNBC’s The Last Word, the 1968 U.S. Presidential election was his political awakening, and it has remained one of his abiding fascinations. Today he talks about the war that sunk LBJ’s presidency and the wild election that followed including the indignities suffered by Senator Senator Eugene McCarthy, how the assassination of Bobby Kennedy threw the Democratic primary into chaos, and the impossible political position of the eventual Democratic nominee Humbert Humphrey. He analyzes the strategy behind the unlikely political comeback of Richard Nixon, the disturbingly familiar tone of the racist George Wallace campaign, and how 1968 has set the stage for every presidential election to follow.

Order Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics on Amazon or download the audio version on Audible. Watch The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell every week night at 10PM Eastern on MSNBC, and follow him on twitter at @Lawrence. Today’s episode is sponsored by Grasshopper and Credible.com. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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A.J. Jacobs Explores the World's Family Tree Nov 30, 2017

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A.J. Jacobs recounts his attempt to throw the worlds biggest family reunion, and his efforts to connect with the billions of people he calls his "cousins" via a project called the world family tree. He discusses how this crazy project all began with an email from a dairy farmer in Israel, and quickly led him down a genealogical rabbit hole as he played "six degrees of A.J. Jacobs." He says any person on the planet is no further than 70th cousins with anyone else, and every one of the 7 billion people on earth will be connected through a global family tree within the next 10-20 years. A.J. discusses the potential for this idea to bridge divides, but he warns that genealogy can also expose uncomfortable truths and upend long held family narratives. Plus A.J. earns the ultimate Mormon street cred, attends a get-together of the Hatfields and McCoys, and nearly loses his mind trying to round up thousands of his "cousins" for the world's biggest family reunion.

Order A.J. Jacobs' book IT'S ALL RELATIVE: ADVENTURES UP AND DOWN THE WORLD'S FAMILY TREE on Amazon or download the audiobook on Audible. Follow A.J. on twitter at @ajjacobs or at www.ajjacobs.com. Today’s episode is sponsored by Grasshopper, Credible.com, and iFit Nourish. Please subscribe to Kickass News on iTunes and take our listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Magazine Queen Tina Brown Nov 27, 2017

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Vanity Fair, news, magazines, publishing, journalism, fashion, celebrity, New York, Conde Nast, media, photography,

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Eric Ries on Applying Startup Thinking to Big Companies, Governments & More Nov 23, 2017

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business, entrepreneurship, startup, silicon valley, lean startup, tech, companies, GE, Amazon,

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Comedian Brian Regan on Working Clean, Tennis Scores & Middle East Peace Nov 20, 2017

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Comedian Brian Reagan talks about his very first standup act, the worst gig he ever had, and the double-edged sword of being labeled a "clean comic." He reveals why he doesn’t like to see his audience, why he never plays the town he lives in, and the incredibly weird audition that got him on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Plus Brian has a bone to pick with whoever invented tennis scoring, and he offers his sage advice for Middle East peace.

Brian Regan's Netflix comedy special Nunchucks and Flamethrowers is available November 21. Follow Brian on twitter at @brianregan and visit www.brianregan.com for tickets and tour dates.

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Paul Reiser & Jeff Sotzing on Bringing Johnny Carson Back to Television Nov 16, 2017

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Paul Reiser and Jeff Sotzing discuss their new show There's...Johnny!, a funny and heartwarming coming of age series set amid the backstage antics on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. They talk about bringing Carson to a new generation of TV viewers, meticulously recreating the look of The Tonight Show for There's...Johnny!, and building each episode around some of Johnny Carson's most iconic television moments. Paul recalls his first appearance on Carson, Johnny’s impeccable sense of comedic timing, and his generosity to young comics like himself. Jeff shares memories of his uncle Johnny and his time working on The Tonight Show including being there for Carson’s final episode. Plus the antics of the legendary Pat McCormick, the time Johnny Carson foiled an extortion plot, and Tony Danza as the oh so cool Tonight Show producer Freddie deCordova.

Season 1 of There’s...Johnny! is available on Hulu November 16. Keep up with Paul at www.paulreiser.com or on Twitter at @PaulReiser, and visit www.johnnycarson.com for memorable clips and other fun stuff from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Nadex and Grasshopper. Please take our new listener survey at www.podcastlistener.com/KICK.

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Jenna & Barbara Bush on their Unbreakable Bond & Life in a Political Dynasty Nov 13, 2017

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politics, family, President, Bush, George. W. Bush, White House, sisters, 9/11, Republican, inspiration,

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Alec Baldwin & Kurt Andersen Talk Presidential Parody Nov 09, 2017

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humor, politics, satire, parody, Saturday Night Live, comedy, political, Donald Trump, President,

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