Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

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

June 9, 2026 54 mins
Screenwriting Legends SCOTT ALEXANDER and LARRY KARASZEWSKI discuss their origin stories of being film nerds, drive-in movies, how looking on the back of Variety was glorious when they were kids, how Shakey's Pizza's silent movies influenced them, meeting the first hour at school and deciding to go to the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles, why they program screenings including The Wrong Guy, what makes a good story from real life, why o...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Bennett Yellin and Peter Farrelly talk about meeting each other in school and immediately connecting over their shared sense of humor. Bennett talks about substance abuse in college, while Peter discusses being a very hard driver at work. You talk about getting very lucky working with Eddie Murphy and David Zucker, and about bringing Bobby Farrelly into the group when they were writing movies together. Peter talks about being extre...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Cheri talks about growing up in a rough house with a lot of kids and a young mom and pretending to escape and maybe grab some attention. She talks about imitating TV shows, soap operas and Joe Cocker. She talks about moving from Pennsylvania to California to pursue dreams of acting after a break-up and found herself in the heart of Panorama City nowhere near Hollywood.  Later she found early success in LA @ A&M RECORDS. In...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Writer, Michael Elias, talks about growing up in the Catskills, where you had to make your money in the summer to survive the winter, and how that created a lot of tension. He also talks about taking acting classes, dealing with being an actor, and how acting helped him build scenes and characters. He talks about working for Glen Campbell without realizing how talented he was. He discusses his book Benders, L.A. and talks about goi...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Actress/Author Annabelle Gurwitch talks about living with stage 4 cancer, dating a hard rock tour manager, making each day count, the search for cures, ketamine fails, finding joy in writing, medicine overload, and the joys of hand painted wallpaper. Bio:  ANNABELLE GURWITCH is a New York Times bestselling author of six books, and two-time Thurber Prize finalist. Her writing appears in The New Yorker and New York Times, Holly...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Actor/writer talks about being in The Vacant Lot, the sketch show immediately after Kids In the Hall and how the CBC tanked it, what it takes to be a bad waiter, why Canadians are funny in the US, how Canada makes people take turns being successful, how show business culls the herd, and the great conversation he had with his dad on the day he died.  Bio:  Paul Greenberg is an Emmy-winning writer, producer and performer w...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Wendy Liebman - talks about her joke prompts as a help for writing, people who want to be picked on in the audience, being an actress as and turning to stand-up, slowing down your performance, the audience as a community, jokes that lead you somewhere, the joy of the Jindo dogs, AI stealing jokes, Steven Wright, the plusses of being a comedy team, Phyllis Diller, comics who get their own sitcom, jokes vs. stories, and what it takes...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Comic/Writer/Actor/Podcast-Entrepreneur Al Madrigal talks to Jay about representing our culture in our work.  We also chat about the dangers of a guest based podcast, the pleasures of morning golf vs lunch, how Neal Brennan’s podcast “Blocks” is better than Jay’s, ADD, Vyvanse, roadrage, comic on comic anger, leaving the parent’s staffing company business to be a comic, the reality of show busines...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Comic/Writer Jim Vallely talks about dignity, flirting, young people, being a joke guy, Arrested Development, Golden Girls, My Wife & Kids, Don Reo, our mutual love of The Rockford Files, how being broke is good motivation, having a daughter who's working while you're unemployed, jokes vs emotional engaging of the characters, casting is 1/3 of a show, boyish only lasts so long, trying to not be an asshole, Sit N Spin, late nigh...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Comic, Writer, Podcast Greg Fitzsimmons talks about growing up in a the son of a well known radio personality who lived large but was a tough dad, learning how to be a fighter, being a Boston comic when being brave was more important than being funny.  The power struggles on Ellen. Being on the road. Having kids and dealing with them differently than his family did. Actually living past the age of his dad’s death. And wh...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
On today’s AUDIO ONLY show we talk about the value of anonymity, how to try and not let The Simpsons take over your life, being writers and actors, bad auditions, the value of improv, The Tracey Ullman Show, Chicago (the city), singing dancing, the thoughts behind jokes, being actors and writers, the origin of The Simpsons, how actors often know their characters better than writers, being a creative couple, improvising plays,...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Emmy Award-winning producer/writer Al Jean has worked on THE SIMPSONS since it became a series in 1989. He has a credit on over 600 episodes and been showrunner for 22 seasons. In addition to nine Emmy Awards, he has won two coveted Peabody Awards and was nominated for two Golden Globes. Currently he serves as executive producer and showrunner. He also served as writer and producer on "THE SIMPSONS MOVIE" (which took in over $525 m...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Author David Wolinsky talks about whether the internet is helping or hurting more, AI destroying movies and TV, dopamine addiction, The Onion, going cold turkey on social media, the email monster, and the idea that asking questions without having the answers is better than trying to figure it out. Bio: He's a former Onion editor best known for once interviewing the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher turned oral historian, aut...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Alex Edelman is an outstanding stand-up, writer, and creator of Just For Us talks about making his acclaimed broadway triumph, the death of his friend and collaborator - Adam, retiring the show, loving that others can do it, always being a student, staying curious even when you know alot, being an introvert on stage, being miserable does not equate to quality, jokes that don’t quite work, me winning an Emmy, the power of gree...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Comic Writer Debbie Kasper discusses her tumultuous life and what it would take for Jay to make his one woman show. Bio: Debbie Kasper is a multiple Emmy-nominated writer and an award-winning solo performer. After touring the country a few times over as a comedian and also with several theatrical shows she wrote & starred in, Debbie turned to television writing (Roseanne and The Rosie O'Donnell Show). She has written a few bo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Alex Edelman is an outstanding stand-up, writer, and creator of Just For Us talks about trying to be an artist, how Greg Daniels is the best writer/showrunner/teacher, The Paper, the strength he gets from friends, the music in dialogue, meeting at UnCaberet, the greatest sitcom jokes of all time, camera awareness in a mock documentary, how everyone is a director now, AI, and how Alex refuses to use it even for sex. Bio: ALEX EDEL...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Josh Corey talks about the journey to become a boxer and why he needed to challenge himself and turning that into a podcast called “From Writer To Fighter.”  He also talks about coaches and sparring partners being key to learning, the danger and pain of it, being in the moment, becoming a writer with the encouragement of teachers, working for Jay as a writer’s assistant, the process of learning to run the roo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Liz Feldman talks about turning tragedy into comedy and drama by being open. She also talks about being a young stand-up, writing for other comics, sexual harassment in the writers room, having to be better than men, her motherhood journey, how to be a show-runner, the Groundlings, deciding that her future was writing not acting, and all the guests that won’t do my podcast but does her new podcast with Jesse Klein, “Her...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Actor comic and writer Jamie Kaler talks about trying to manage a career while still making dinner for his girls, how's staying home to be a dad forced him to find other outlets, how podcasting in social media is the next big hurdle, how the navy helped him be funny, how stand up comedy has changed, and how to survive the wild ride of show business. Bio:Jamie Kaler An accomplished actor, comic, host, voice-over artist and podcaste...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
We talk with Texan/South Asian stand-up, writer, director about his journey from Texas, his love of comedy and its connection to his father’s love, a family of doctors, was stand-up a phase, bad jokes, going to USC film school, his love of sitcoms, Jess Oppenheimer, making his first pilot, putting his road career on hold while he takes care of his mother, opening for the great D.L. Hughley, being nominated for an Emmy while d...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

    Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends

    A weekly podcast where host, Robert Smigel, and a rotating panel, his friends, assist callers seeking help in making something in their real life funnier. Anything. A best man speech, a eulogy, a breakup letter, a cover letter, an apology, a Tinder profile - Robert, with a panel of professional comedy writers and comedians, will punch it up and get results. Want help with your writing assignment? Submit it to: speakpipe.com/humorme

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices