Comedy History 101
Comedian and journalist Harmon Leon dives deep into the wild, weird, and hilarious history of comedy. Each episode explores the backstories of legendary comedians, iconic sketches, cult classics, stand-up milestones, and forgotten gems from the comedy world. From SNL to viral videos, we unpack the moments that shaped what makes us laugh. Whether you're a hardcore comedy nerd or just comedy-curious, this is your crash course in the funny business. Subscribe now and discover how comedy got to where it is today—one punchline at a time.
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- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 42 minutes
- Episodes
- 203
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
History of Here Comes the Judge: Comedy's First Meme
Here Comes the Judge is a 1968 song by legendary comedian Pigmeat Markham. It become one of comedy’s first memes when Sammy David Jr. made it a catchphrase on the TV show: Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In.
…
00:34:04 |
Fri 27 Sep 2019
History of SNL Firing Cast Members
This week, Saturday Night Live fired new cast member, Shane Gillis. Turns out he made racist comments on podcasts.
Ugh!
But there’s been numerous famous comedians who have been fired by SNL over th…
00:48:33 |
Thu 19 Sep 2019
History of Monty Python's German Episodes
In 1971, the legendary comedy troupe, Monty Python, went to Germany to film two episodes of: Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus.
The Pythons were reluctant to do the episodes - largely because they ha…
00:46:15 |
Thu 12 Sep 2019
History of Traveling Salesman/Farmer's Daughter Jokes
Traveling salesman and farmer’s daughter jokes - are the product of a bygone era. When these two joke genres collide, it involves a farmer, his daughter, and a salesman who is stranded in the country…
00:41:15 |
Tue 03 Sep 2019
CH101 Select: History of CADDYSHACK 2 - THE WORST SEQUEL EVER!
In this CH101 Select - we dissect Caddyshack 2 - which is the worst comedy movie sequel OF ALL TIME!
Sure, it's still a classic battle of the snobs vs. the slobs, but Caddyshack 2 has none of the cha…
00:44:23 |
Mon 26 Aug 2019
CH101 Select: History of Devo
We explore the comedy history behind the band DEVO - one of the funniest music groups of all time.
DEVO first described their music as bombs dropping mixed with Alka Seltzer jingles and the overall…
00:50:34 |
Mon 12 Aug 2019
History of Frankie Fay: America's First Stand Up Comedian and Horrible Racist
Frankie Fay was a vaudeville comedian - who in 1919 is said to have created modern day stand up comedy. Fay was the first comedian to come out on stage in regular clothes and just talk to the audienc…
00:44:15 |
Mon 05 Aug 2019
History of Mad Magazine (PT 2)
We dive into Part Two of your history of the magazine. - covering some of the controversies over the years. Longtime editor, Joe Raiola tells us what happened when they had an article where the proph…
00:40:27 |
Mon 29 Jul 2019
History of Mad Magazine
Sadly, Mad magazine is ending its 67-year print run in August. Gone. Vanished. No more. But Mad will live on through how it influenced every comedic force that has ever thumbed its nose at authority,…
00:35:42 |
Mon 22 Jul 2019
CH101 Select: History of the Andrew "Dice" Clay Controversy
In the 80's, Andrew Dice Clay was one of the biggest comedians in America. He came into prominence with a brash, offensive persona known as "The Diceman." His material was heavily homophobic and mi…
00:43:09 |
Mon 15 Jul 2019
CH101 Select: History of Beavis and Butt-head's Frog Baseball
From the CH101 archives: We discuss the making of the Mike Judge animated short, Frog Baseball, which launched the MTV series: Beavis and Butt-head. We also dive into some of Judge's early animation …
00:36:51 |
Mon 08 Jul 2019
History of Comedians Getting the Hook
A classic comedy trope is the comedian getting the hook - and being pulled off stage. But how did this come about in your comedic lexicon? It’s usually depicted as a shepherd’s crook. that pulls off…
00:32:47 |
Mon 01 Jul 2019
(Pt 2) History of Lenny Bruce, Censorship, and Free Speech
We continue with the literal trials of Lenny Bruce - and the nature of free speech in comedy clubs.
Does free speech mean that we occasionally have to listen to what we don’t want to hear?
We div…
00:32:59 |
Mon 24 Jun 2019
History of Lenny Bruce, Censorship, and Free Speech
Lenny Bruce was a comedian who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. And because of that, he became a martyr for free speech. Between 1961 to 1964, he was arrested on obscenity charges 8 times - for perfo…
00:30:06 |
Mon 17 Jun 2019
History of Beatles Producer George Martin's Ties To Comedy
The late George Martin will always be best remembered for his legendary work as the producer of The Beatles. Did you know that the man who made the Fab Four sound amazing got his start as a producer…
00:41:01 |
Mon 03 Jun 2019
History of Right-Wing Comedians Punching Down
Roseanne was supposed to be the big comedy breakout star of Trump’s America… and look how that turned out. So, why are there so few right-wing Republican comedians who can extend the comedic olive …
00:47:57 |
Tue 28 May 2019
History of Tim Conway
Tim Conway was one of the greatest second bananas in comedy history. Sadly, he passed away on May 14th at the age of 85. Conway’s comedy career started on a local TV station in Ohio, and he made his…
00:58:50 |
Tue 21 May 2019
History of Alex Jones on Austin Public Access TV
Alex Jones began his career in Austin, Texas, back in the ’90s, as a local cable access cult figure - and He built a rabid national audience by spewing out conspiracy theories.
To set the stage, AC…
00:44:32 |
Tue 14 May 2019
History of Slipping on a Banana Peel
Since the beginning of the 20th century, slipping on a banana peel has been a fixture in physical comedy. A comedy trope, if you will. We’ve seen such legendary silent comedians as Charlie Chaplin, B…
00:48:38 |
Mon 06 May 2019
History of Knock-Knock Jokes
Knock knock? Who’s there? It’s time for the history of knock-knock jokes…
Knock-knock jokes are the classic question and answer kid joke. But did you know that its origin goes all the way back to Sh…
00:34:05 |
Mon 15 Apr 2019
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