Weird, Wild & Wickedly Funny: A Comedy Trifecta

What happens when you bring together three comedy legends with wildly different styles? Pure entertainment gold. This episode delivers a masterclass in comedic diversity featuring Andy Kindler, Bobby Slayton, and a rare behind-the-scenes moment with Gary Shandling.

First up is Andy Kindler, known for his work on "Everybody Loves Raymond" and as a regular on "Late Night with David Letterman." His set from a special concert in Canada showcases his signature brand of industry-insider humor and meta-comedy. With jokes ranging from Nazi documentaries to social media absurdities, Kindler demonstrates why he's considered a comedian's comedian. His self-referential style and willingness to embrace awkwardness create moments of brilliance that highlight his unique voice in the stand-up world.

Bobby Slayton takes the stage next with a performance recorded live at Laughs Unlimited. Nicknamed the "Pitbull of Comedy," Slayton lives up to his reputation with a no-holds-barred examination of relationships and romance. His hilarious deconstruction of supposedly romantic activities—from candlelight dinners to showering together—resonates with audiences through its brutal honesty. Slayton's masterful crowd work and rapid-fire delivery demonstrate why he's been a fixture in comedy clubs and films like "Bandits" and "Dreamgirls."

The episode concludes with something truly special: an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes recording of Gary Shandling preparing for a television interview about his role in the 2006 animated film "Over the Hedge." This rare glimpse into Shandling's natural wit reveals the improvisational genius that made him a pioneer of meta-comedy in shows like "The Larry Sanders Show." His bizarre tangents about teaching dogs acting skills and what might be found in his garbage showcase the free-associative style that influenced a generation of comedians.

Whether you're drawn to Kindler's self-deprecating observations, Slayton's unapologetic relationship truths, or Shandling's meandering absurdity, this episode offers something for every comedy fan. Don't forget to share with friends and rate the show—we'll be back next week with more great comedy!

Chapters

• 0:04 Episode Introduction
• 1:45 Andy Kindler's Live Comedy Set
• 10:27 Bobby Slayton on Relationships
• 16:36 Gary Shandling's Behind-the-Scenes Chat
• 21:18 Closing Remarks

Transcript

Garry Shandling: 0:04

This is another episode of Stand-Up Comedy, your host and emcee Celebrating 40-plus years on the fringe of show business Stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not-so-famous. Here's your host and emcee, scott Edwards.

R. Scott Edwards: 0:21

Hey, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining us on this week's show. We have some more great content for you, in fact, something totally different I know you've never heard before Coming up later on. Our third entertainer is Gary Shandling, but what's different is, instead of a stand-up comedy set, I actually have a behind-the-scenes recording of a conversation before he did a TV news spot for a movie coming out in 2006 called Over the Hedge. In this particular pre-interview conversation he's with Mark S Allen, who's a terrific movie critic in the Sacramento area, and Gary just kind of goes off in his usual strange way. It's very funny. It's a unique conversation. I know you'll enjoy it.

R. Scott Edwards: 1:11

Before him, we have a terrific live set by a very funny comic, if not very edgy, bobby Slayton, as he's doing a live set at my club, laughs Unlimited, and I know you'll enjoy it. He's been on the podcast many times, always a terrific comic with great material and audience interaction. You may remember him from the movies Bandits and Dreamgirls. But he'll be up later on, bobby Slayton. But let's jump into this week's show. Our first act live presentation of a concert out of Canada by comic Andy Kindler. Now, he's not only a regular on this podcast, but you may remember him as one of the regular characters on Everybody Loves Raymond with Ray Romano, and if not, from that he was a regular on Late Night with David Letterman. So a very, very talented actor, great stand-up comic. He also has a new podcast called the Thought Spiral, so be sure to check that out. So, ladies and gentlemen, how about some great stand-up comedy by one of the best in the business, live on stage here? He is Andy Kindler.

Ed Solomon: 2:25

Thank you. Thank you so much. I found it hard to negotiate those steps. That was difficult. Hi, I'm Andy Kindler. Thank you, I am Andy Kindler, but for a brief time period I toured the country as Andy Semetic. I thought it'd be a great gimmick celebrate my Jewish heritage heritage. I drew the wrong crowds. I did sell out four shows in idaho, though, so that was good, because we have a lot of nazis in idaho. Do you have nazis in canada? Do you have idaho here? Do you have states? What do you call them? Do you have provinces? What do you call them? Do you have provinces? What do you call them? Areas? Do you have shoes? Are they measured metrically?

R. Scott Edwards: 3:07

Do they come in?

Ed Solomon: 3:07

liters. Okay, I'm good now. I was watching a documentary that was in my impression of American comedians who can't figure out Canada. Do you have air? Do you have wheels on your cars? How do you do it? Do you have wheels on your cars? I was watching a documentary about the American Nazi Party where I learned that the leader, lincoln Rockwell, was killed by a disgruntled member. Aren't all Nazis disgruntled? How did that investigation take place? All right, nazis, everybody huddle up. Did any of you Nazis notice any of the other Nazis who might have seemed unhappy, socially awkward, maybe didn't fit in Any of the Nazis you think may have been capable of rage? There's a documentary on the History Channel called Hi Hitler about Hitler and his drug problems. Hi Hitler, not Heil Hitler.

Ed Solomon: 4:11

It's a wordplay, it's cutesy. Is this what it's come to? We need a gimmick to get people to watch Hitler. Are Hitler's numbers down? That's my new pause and lean back. It's very popular. Don't, please, don't applaud, because I don't know what it means.

Ed Solomon: 4:35

I have my own idea for a new social networking site. It's like Twitter, but it's called Fritter, and on Fritter, what you do is you tell people in the moment what you could have been doing with your life. If you weren't wasting it reporting on your mundane activities, I could have finished that novel I promised to write if I wasn't obsessed with telling people what I had for lunch. I like that kind of laugh. I like that kind of laugh. A few months ago my manager emailed me that he got an inquiry from an inquiry, an inquiry from VH1 Celebrity Fit Club. So I wrote right back. Are they implying that I'm out of shape? He responded. Why don't you look at the bright side? They're implying you're a celebrity. How about that? My manager is very funny. Some people think he's funnier than me. I'm not Matt Camp. Okay, maybe that wasn't funny. I thought that would be a nice aside, but it doesn't work all the time. This is the best I've ever done on a show.

Ed Solomon: 5:43

A little while ago the singer John Mayer got in trouble because he was in a Playboy interview. They asked him if he was attracted to black women and he referred to his penis as a white supremacist. I think he was trying to be funny, attempting humor. I know where he's coming from. I was a stage magician for a while and I called myself the Grand Wizard. Is that wrong? Am I the bad guy all of a sudden. Sometimes I refer to my ears as separate but equal. Is that going to be a thing now? John Mayer had to apologize for the interview. Still no apology, for your body is a wonderland. No word on that. Yet Half the crowd is semi-stunned.

Ed Solomon: 6:28

Whenever I travel around the United States, I check into a small town, a hotel. They always advertise on TV on demand. You don't have to wait to the top of the hour for your favorite movies, you can watch them right now, and then you look at the choices. Duplicity, it's complicated. When in Rome did you hear the thing with the Morgans? Again with Nicolas Cage and the action stuff Four? This does not live up to the promise of on-demand. Okay, you'll never hear me yell out from my hotel room. I demand to see old dogs now. Front desk, hold my calls. I'm watching the proposal. Front desk, hold my calls and send me up ghosts of girlfriends. Past stat yes, hold my calls like I'm in a hotel in the 1950s, please.

Ed Solomon: 7:24

The Supreme Court just made it easier for Americans to get guns. Because Americans need better access to guns. We need to shorten the time period where they reach over and you put it over the counter. We've got to cut back on that. I need to kill someone. Yesterday I was in Minneapolis and on the public buildings they have signs banning firearms theaters banning firearms. That means there was a problem at one point. Someone wanted to bring a weapon to the theater. I can't see, I can't bring my rifle to see death of a salesman. How am I going to know the salesman is really dead? How am I going to know the salesman's really dead?

Ed Solomon: 8:07

I want to bring back dinner theater. I mean it hasn't really gone away, but I want to make it more popular again. I love the idea of dinner theater. I love that you're eating while enjoying an artistic presentation. That's the best Shoveling food while someone's performing for you. But my angle would be to put on plays in a dinner theater setting that people won't even see in the regular theater. Like waiting for Godot. It's a 12-hour play. Even Samuel Beckett walked out. I want to put that on in a dinner theater setting because I want to hear someone yell two hours in hey, is my steak gonna get here before Godot if? If the Iceman ever cometh, can you have him send a scotch and soda to table 12? Can one of you three sisters see about my soup?

Ed Solomon: 8:58

I enjoy doing three examples that did not ascend. I like when I do three examples of a joke and it stays on the same level. There's no build. I like when my third example brings the crowd further down. My mouth is very dry. I love being a stand-up comic but sometimes it feels a little cheesy because you know I had to play a clip called Go Bananas. How do you sound hip when you tell your friends I'm playing Go Bananas? On the menu at Go Bananas they had an item called Silly Chili. Does everything have to be hilarious at a comic club? Are people calling up? Are the comedians funny? Will the food also crack me up? Do you have Silly Chili? Do you have funny fries? Do you have fish schticks? Do you have ha ha, ha ha hamburgers? That would be a closer on a normal show for me. Thank you everybody. Give it up for me.

R. Scott Edwards: 10:00

That was Andy Kindler live on stage at a special concert up in Canada. He always has a little edgy inside industry jokes about show business, always a lot of fun. And he has a little fun with the expensive comics visiting Canada as well. So a lot of good comedy there. He is a little on the inside but we love him, andy Kindler. I hope you enjoy that as much as I did. Hey coming up right now, our next comedy set was recorded live on stage at my club laughs unlimited. It goes back over a couple of decades but it's very, very funny material by comic Bobby Slayton. Now you may remember him from his many TV appearances. He was also in the movie Bandits and the movie Dreamgirls, along with a few others. He's a really talented, if not a little edgy, stand-up comic. In this particular set he talks about relationships and romance. It's a lot of laughs. I know you enjoy it. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bobby Slayton live on stage.

Bobby Slayton: 11:07

How about you, two lovebirds? You dating, married. You are married. Good for you, my man. How long have you been married? Two months, all right. So the romance is still there. Yeah, we're all still there. Very nice. You lived together before you got married A couple of months, all right. Well, he's right into the marriage thing. So of course, he's a romantic guy, which is very important, right? What does he do that's romantic? You know nothing about Loverboy.

R. Scott Edwards: 11:27

I can guarantee you that right now.

Bobby Slayton: 11:29

This is the purpose of my show. I mean, getting laughs is important, but if I can make 90% of the people laugh and maybe break up one couple, then I feel that I've not only got laughs but I've accomplished something on this stage. If I'm not getting laid tonight, nobody's getting laid, you understand. Nobody leaves this room happy. He's romantic. What does he do? Does he like candlelight dinners?

R. Scott Edwards: 11:52

No, of course not.

Bobby Slayton: 11:52

There's not a guy in this room that really gives a rat's ass about candlelight dinners. Women seem to think we like them, but you know it's never our idea.

R. Scott Edwards: 12:00

I mean, does he have them with his?

Bobby Slayton: 12:01

friends when you're not around, absolutely not During the Super Bowl. Okay, bob, you get the Doritos, I'll get the candles First down. Yes, you make a candlelight dinner for a guy, believe me. He's sitting there squirming in his chair. I can't see the goddamn potato. This sucks. What the hell did she make? What is this? A turd, a piece of corn Honey? At least put on the TV and get some light over here, so romantic it's.

R. Scott Edwards: 12:28

Right up there we're taking a bath or a shower together, can I tell you?

Bobby Slayton: 12:31

how many times I'll come home at night, wife will have a little bath made. She doesn't get it. She'll have candles in the bathroom like some kind of voodoo sacrifice. What are you doing? Oh, I made us a bath. You made us a bath.

Bobby Slayton: 12:40

You ever see me take a bath? No, I don't take a bath. I can't even get my own fat butt in the tub without my feet halfway up the wall. Now your fat ass is in the tub too. We've tried this before. It doesn't work. I always get the side with the faucet in my back.

Bobby Slayton: 12:54

Ow, ow, yeah, honey, I'd love to get a hard-on. There doesn't seem to be any room Taking a shower together. That really sucks, fellas. See, women like that because they're the ones under the hot water. We're standing there like a moron with a shriveled-up dick and soap in our face. This with a shriveled up dick and soap in her face. This is terrific, honey. I got no penis. I got shampoo in my eyes. Let me know when there's no more hot water, it'll be my turn. I'll be right over here. I'm cold. I'm naked. My dick looks like a stack of buttons. This is just terrific. See, you never told me what your new husband does. It's so romantic. Does he like perfume? Yeah, you like one perfume. I don't think he likes any perfume. You're saying he likes one perfume because that's what you wear and that's what he likes.

Bobby Slayton: 13:46

He got it for you. You know why he got it for you. He went to Macy's or Nordstrom's and he smelled the best looking chick behind the cosmetic counter, so he knows when the lights are out he can pretend he's nailing her. That's why he brought that to you. That's right, lover boy. My wife always cut those old perfume samplers out of the magazines. What about this? She puts them on a riff. Do you like this, I guess. What is it? Newsweek?

R. Scott Edwards: 14:08

Get it? I don't know.

Bobby Slayton: 14:10

Smells like the other magazine you just shoved in my face. You want to smell good for a man. You put some of that ballpark hot dog juice in your crotch. Oh yeah, that's right. Ladies, you put some sauerkraut down there at 3 o'clock in the morning. Watch how fast lover boy wakes up. That's the terms of the man. Condiments, condiments, condiments. Not that Victoria's Secret, bullshit. Victoria. Not that Victoria's Secret, bullshit, victoria's Secret.

Bobby Slayton: 14:38

You wear that to bed. You know what that does for a guy. It reminds us of the women in the catalog we're not doing. Yeah, honey, I know, I said I liked it in the catalog and I like it. I just didn't know they made them, you know, and in that size. There's Victoria's big secret. How you get your fat buck to look like the chick in the picture, there's a big secret. Nobody can quite figure out. I feel some tension here. Hey, if it makes you guys feel any better, believe me, if my wife was here I wouldn't be talking like this. I'd be riding a unicycle like Gallagher and smashing watermelons and putting rabbits out of my ass like carrot tops. Yeah, big talker with a wife head around. Hey, norton, king of the castle Norton.

Ed Solomon: 15:21

Remember that Honeymooners episode? Yeah, when the wife's not around, a man's going to be king of the castle.

R. Scott Edwards: 15:28

Nobody gets down to the nitty gritty like Bobby Slayton and when it comes to romance and relationships, I think there was some very funny stuff where we can all relate to, so we hope you enjoyed that set with Bobby Slayton. He's a terrific comic and a regular on this podcast. All right, coming up the closing of our show, I tried to give you a little bit of a heads up. It stars Gary Shandling. This was recorded back in 2006 as he was about to get interviewed by movie critic Marcus Allen for the movie Over the Hedge, in which he was one of the characters. Now, what's neat about this is this is a conversation that was recorded before the actual TV news interview promoting the movie, so I know you'll enjoy this. For those that may not remember, gary Shandling was a very famous movie actor, did something like 50 different movies. He had his own show, the Gary Shandling Show, and the Larry Sanders Show. Both were huge success on cable. So let's hear this behind-the-scenes conversation with Marcus Allen and Gary Shandling.

Garry Shandling: 16:35

No, I mean I used to work in Sacramento Last Unlimited. You want to?

Garry Shandling: 16:39

do that on camera.

Garry Shandling: 16:40

Yeah.

Garry Shandling: 16:41

Can I get a two-shot on B please and mix it up on A?

Garry Shandling: 16:46

Thanks, hey, who's running this thing? Hold on, buddy, I'm looking for my Sacramento jokes.

Garry Shandling: 16:57

Did you find them your Sacramento jokes?

Garry Shandling: 17:01

My God. I worked that club in Sacramento, Laughs Unlimited. I saw you there, Laughs Unlimited man. I really worked a lot there when I was starting out. Do you remember it as being like a hole in the wall joint? Sure, it's what. Comedy clubs were then Real bricks, though Were those real bricks. Well, you know you play all the comedy clubs were then Real bricks, though Were those real bricks.

Garry Shandling: 17:17

Well, you know, you play all the comedy clubs that had the fake bricks behind you.

Garry Shandling: 17:20

Yeah, that's right, you had real bricks there at least. Yeah, yeah, that club owner was a good guy and I got a lot of good work down there. Good times, yeah, I grew up Right. Yeah, sacramento's good, all right. Hey, congratulations on this. Why so? Because it works. It's funny. You think it works? You're a turtle? Well, I don't know if I play it. The test will be when turtles see the movie, if they go have they tested it among test groups, focus groups with turtles.

Garry Shandling: 17:51

I doubt it because you know that's probably not the audience they're going for. Sure, then they'll all want to get in the movies, probably Sure, but some do already. I remember, even as a boy, when I was watching Lassie I could see my dog going how do I? That's what I'd like to do, right. But you know, I lived in Tucson, arizona, so there was no shot that he was going to get in show business. No good agents in Tucson, no. And then you know they die when they're 13 or something. They got a short time to get man. You know it takes time.

Garry Shandling: 18:21

Think of the pressure, yeah, but I try. I mean, I taught them a lot of acting skills. You did Sure Like, for instance, stop licking yourself. No one's going to like that. That right, you know. No one wants to see that. How far into your acting career was it before you?

Garry Shandling: 18:41

learned how to stop doing that I'm working on that one. I don't like to talk about it, okay, yeah these uh, turtles all the animals in fact are going into suburbia. The first contact they have with the humans is through their trash. As we wrap this up, what surprise would I find about you going through your garbage?

Garry Shandling: 18:59

Well, I mean, I use a new toothbrush every day. I can see a lot of toothbrushes. It's a thing I got. You just find out that. What surprises would you find in my garbage? What surprises would you find in my garbage? Let me think a minute, give me a second. What surprises Is find in my garbage? What surprises would you find in my garbage? Let me think a minute, give me a second. What surprises? Is that the question? Sure, what surprises would you find in my garbage? Something I wouldn't expect to be in your garbage? And when did you think of that question? Have you been living with that? When you first saw me like we go back to Sacramento, were you thinking I wonder what's in his garbage? That with that? When you first saw me like we go back to sacramento, were you thinking I wonder what's in his garbage? That's what I'm curious about and I'll answer you. I just want to know when you started to think about my garbage as I walked through the door, okay.

Garry Shandling: 19:44

So the thought hit you there. Okay, I was just concerned because I never think about what's in someone's garbage. Uh, let's see the regular stuff. There's a lot. I play basketball at my house every Sunday with a bunch of guys. It's a regular game. The garbage on Mondays is filled with a lot more food than you'd think I'd eat. It's like 15 guys. That would be the big surprise. You'd go. Is he eating that much? And then mostly I save the other stuff.

Garry Shandling: 20:19

I don't throw it away. I'm the big.

Garry Shandling: 20:20

This because they're waiting for me to come up with something you can use. It was all good. Thank you for your time.

R. Scott Edwards: 20:25

It's good to see you guys. Nice job. Wow, that was really different getting a chance to hear gary getting prepared for a tv news conversation with movie critic Marcus Allen, as they're about to release the 2006 movie Over the Hedge. I found it nice that he mentioned me, my club and some of the great times he had in Sacramento. Wow, this has been a really fun show. You had the inside industry comedy of Ann Lee Kindler, the romance recommendations from Bobby Slayton and a behind the scenes interview with Gary Shandling. Thanks so much for joining us in this week's show. Be sure to tell your friends and rate us if you get a chance. We'll be back next week with another great show. Thanks for listening. Bye.

Garry Shandling: 21:18

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Stand Up Comedy your host and MC. For information on the show, merchandise and our sponsors, or to send comments to Scott, visit our website at wwwstandupyourhostandmccom. Look for more episodes soon and enjoy the world of stand-up comedy. Visit a comedy showroom near you.