Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen
Don’t Be Alone with Jay Kogen is a comedy/advice podcast trying to fight the isolation of modern life. Each episode, Award winning TV writer/comedian/philosopher Jay Kogen has a conversation with a friend about how to solve the problems on Jay’s mind. These friends happen to be famous comics, musicians, actors, artists, writers, and sometimes even his family. It’s an entertaining, fun, and thoughtful show meant to bond us through humor, experience, and empathy. From Straw Hut Media
Episodes
September 16, 2025 • 53 mins
“Hacks on Taps” political guru, Mike Murphy, talks about growing up in Detroit, studying ads, becoming a political consultant by being the only one to raise his hand, starting political pacs, being on the outs with the current Republican party, what the Dems should do to win a bigger percentage of the vote, how buying an EV can really help America, being a Republican in Blue Los Angeles, and secret Republicans in Hollywood whisperi...
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September 11, 2025 • 29 mins
Writer Rob Kutner talks about being anti-anti-semitic, “The God Gang” cartoon, beards, and a lot of other “Jew talk.”
Bio:Rob Kutner is an Emmy-winning writer for TV (The Daily Show, CONAN, Teen Titans Go!) and books (Apocalypse How, Snot Goblins & Other Tasteless Tales, Look Out for the Little Guy), and the head writer of the independent kids’ animated series God’s Gang. For more info, and to “join the gang,” go to www.godsgan...
Bio:Rob Kutner is an Emmy-winning writer for TV (The Daily Show, CONAN, Teen Titans Go!) and books (Apocalypse How, Snot Goblins & Other Tasteless Tales, Look Out for the Little Guy), and the head writer of the independent kids’ animated series God’s Gang. For more info, and to “join the gang,” go to www.godsgan...
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September 9, 2025 • 48 mins
Writer Peter Murrieta talks about how teachers pushed him to a better life, riding in the car with his grandparents, baseball, creating TV, college training him to be a showman, being a rare latino at Second City, Danny Trejo, collecting baseball cards, loving writing, and becoming a teacher to give back.
Bio: Peter Murrieta is a two-time Emmy Award winning producer and writer who has contributed his voice to multiple projects that...
Bio: Peter Murrieta is a two-time Emmy Award winning producer and writer who has contributed his voice to multiple projects that...
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September 2, 2025 • 49 mins
Writer/Producer Mike Scully talks about being new in a writer’s room, Yakav Smirnoff, how he learned empathy from a non empathetic childhood, being a boss, taking over The Simpsons, how 5 daughters run his life, writing with his wife Julie, writing with his brother Brian, doing stand-up, Amy Pohler, Parks & Rec, how Jay ruined Bruce Sprinsteen being on The Simpsons, NRBQ, being a Masshole, getting fired, owing a lot to his mo...
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August 26, 2025 • 55 mins
Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher talk about being the kids of stars, Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher—the allure of show business, putting on shows in their living room, and deciding at a young age to make performing their career. They share stories of being on the road with their mom, the good and bad lessons they learned, going to Beverly Hills High School while living alone across the street, and what it means to inherit both talent...
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August 19, 2025 • 55 mins
Actress/writer/activist Amy Benneman talks about creating a TV show, writing plays, the pleasure of performing in front of people. Her kick-ass judge-pioneer mother, lawyer activist dad and how they started her on a journey of trying to fix the world, expectations of what the world thinks is normal and how it messes up the rest of us, parenthood and raising a neurodivergent child and how she taught Amy to accept and embrace who she...
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August 12, 2025 • 49 mins
Felipe talks about his new book, coming to the USA under an EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST visa, writing for Colbert, growing up in Columbia, the beauty of curious Americans, the danger of being too comfortable, and losing emmy awards to his wife.
Bio: Felipe Torres Medina is a Peabody and Writers Guild of America Award–winning writer from Bogotá, Colombia. His writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned him five Emmy nomination...
Bio: Felipe Torres Medina is a Peabody and Writers Guild of America Award–winning writer from Bogotá, Colombia. His writing for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned him five Emmy nomination...
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August 5, 2025 • 52 mins
Writing Legend, Arnie Kogen, talks with Jay and Jay’s son, Charlie, about his childhood, career, and what it’s like to be 91. Three generations of Kogens in one pod!
Bio: ARNIE KOGENComedy Writer/ TV ProducerHas written and/or produced for the Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show, Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, Empty Nest, Mad TV, The Dean Martin Show, Sinbad, Donnie & Marie, The Jackson Five, Evening At The Improv, The Bob Newhart...
Bio: ARNIE KOGENComedy Writer/ TV ProducerHas written and/or produced for the Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show, Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, Empty Nest, Mad TV, The Dean Martin Show, Sinbad, Donnie & Marie, The Jackson Five, Evening At The Improv, The Bob Newhart...
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August 1, 2025 • 30 mins
Phil Stark talks about writing and learning it wasn’t really his dream, telling patients to find their bliss, deciding joy wasn’t in the writers room, writing “Dog With A Blog”, treating writers who are panicking about work, writer’s block, and where’s the best Tex Mex in Houston.
Bio: Screenwriter (Dude, Where’s My Car?) turned therapist (Dude, Where’s My Car-tharsis?) Phil Stark sees clients virtually from all over the state of...
Bio: Screenwriter (Dude, Where’s My Car?) turned therapist (Dude, Where’s My Car-tharsis?) Phil Stark sees clients virtually from all over the state of...
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July 29, 2025 • 47 mins
Writer of “Jaws" & "The Jerk" Carl Gottlieb talks about working with Spielberg, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, David Crosby, Joan Baez, improv group The Committee, performing comedy in the army, how the Smothers Brothers Show was the hippest most popular show at the time and somehow also cancelled.
Bio: Carl Gottlieb is a screenwriter (Jaws, The Jerk), director (Caveman), & actor (Mash). His book, THE JAWS LOG, remains the mos...
Bio: Carl Gottlieb is a screenwriter (Jaws, The Jerk), director (Caveman), & actor (Mash). His book, THE JAWS LOG, remains the mos...
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July 21, 2025 • 50 mins
Will Forte talks about almost being a financial advisor, his checkered writing career, SNL MacGruber, Nebraska, The Groundlings, Last Man on Earth, having kids late, seeing shrinks, frats, & Val Kilmner being the weirdest roommate of all time.
Bio: Will Forte is a comedian, actor, writer, and improviser best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his starring role in The Last Man on Earth. Born in Alameda County, Californ...
Bio: Will Forte is a comedian, actor, writer, and improviser best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his starring role in The Last Man on Earth. Born in Alameda County, Californ...
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July 15, 2025 • 48 mins
This week, James L Brooks talked about The Simpsons, Mary Tyler Moore ,Terms of Endearment, having a million lunches to cast parts, his difficult beginnings and how the fear of survival and women's shoes drove him to his success. We also talk about what an amazing mentor he is, incredible writer, the worst notes he's ever gotten from a network, and now he likes to have drool days.
Bio:James L. Brooks is a three-time Academy Award®-...
Bio:James L. Brooks is a three-time Academy Award®-...
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July 8, 2025 • 46 mins
Writer/Activist Steve Skovan talks about his work with Ralph Nader, his substack “Bits and Pieces”, his dad being a comic inspiration, the trouble with politics, Public Citizen a progressive consumer rights group, starting as a stand-up, and how a football coach changed his life without molesting him.
Bio: Steve Skrovan has worked as a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV comedy writer since the early eighties. He has written for man...
Bio: Steve Skrovan has worked as a stand-up comedian, actor, and TV comedy writer since the early eighties. He has written for man...
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July 1, 2025 • 54 mins
Tom Lennon tells us he's not working that hard on the unbelievably large number of projects he never stops working on. From writing movies (including a “HALL OF PRESIDENTS” SciFi comedy) to acting in 100s of shows to playing in a Smiths tribute band Thomas Lennon doesn’t stop. And don't try to stop him.
Bio: Thomas Lennon is an actor, producer and New York Times Best Selling author from Oak Park, Illinois. He attended the Tisch Sc...
Bio: Thomas Lennon is an actor, producer and New York Times Best Selling author from Oak Park, Illinois. He attended the Tisch Sc...
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June 24, 2025 • 49 mins
Film-Makers Justin Graves and Byron Manuel talk about what it takes to make movies in 2025 being young, talented, and black. They talk about finding the dream of movies and giving up the dreams of music and sport. They talk about doing what it takes on a budget, fundraising, festivals, developing a ton of projects, and getting their movie “Swoon” on Tubi. They also talk about being able to handle the gut punches that the business ...
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June 17, 2025 • 48 mins
Rachel talks about why people love or hate musicals, Crazy Ex- Girlfriend and how it would never be made today and how unlikely it was to get made back then. She also talks about growing up in Manhattan Beach, Theater School in NY, not having billionaire friends, enjoying the now, writing her one woman show to get through the death of Adam Schlessenger and the birth of her daughter, how being married to a funny person can help, Ha...
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June 10, 2025 • 48 mins
Kenya Barris talks about his messy childhood, the do’s and don’ts of the writer’s room, laying low during covid, Larry David making Kenya take the leap to star in a show, raising kids better than our parents, running a writer’s room is like conducting music, making podcasts with Malcolm Gladwell, being pals with Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy putting points on the board, the pleasure and importance of dressing well, and having people aro...
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June 3, 2025 • 49 mins
Jon and Jay talk about having writer dads, the pressure of trying to succeed as a second gen show biz kid, how to direct movies with being a jerk, being right, the value of being lucky, and the why Captain Crunch is better than Peanut Butter Crunch.
Bio: Jon Turteltaub has been an elite producer and director of hit movies for the past 30 years. He is known for directing a series of hit films including 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While...
Bio: Jon Turteltaub has been an elite producer and director of hit movies for the past 30 years. He is known for directing a series of hit films including 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While...
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May 27, 2025 • 46 mins
Andrea Abbate talks about her amazing tumultuous life, including addiction, bad partners, bad parents, bad relationships, and surviving through comedy to land in a good place.
Bio: Andrea Abbate has proven herself to be a powerhouse in the world of comedy. She’s found success as a stand-up comedian, television writer, actor/performer and producer. Andrea seamlessly blends sharp, edgy humor with an inviting charm that draws audiences...
Bio: Andrea Abbate has proven herself to be a powerhouse in the world of comedy. She’s found success as a stand-up comedian, television writer, actor/performer and producer. Andrea seamlessly blends sharp, edgy humor with an inviting charm that draws audiences...
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May 20, 2025 • 49 mins
Maggie Baird - Actress/writer/ & mother of superstars Billie Eilish & Finneas gives Jay the recipe for not messing up your kids and letting them flourish. She also talks about living small, rewarding effort and experience over awards, & the value of an artist’s mindset and working for love vs. money. And she talks about trying to change the world with her Support + Feed charity she formed to help fight food insecurit...
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