Comedy Bang Bang: “Come On Baby, Shoot That Conga”

Episode Summary & Highlights
Release Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Scott Aukerman
Guests: Phoebe Robinson, Vic Michaelis (as Egg Doaf & Duno), Dave Theune

Main Theme & Overview

This episode is classic Comedy Bang Bang—a blend of freewheeling interviews, straight-up goofball character work, and meandering meta-discussions about comedy, culture, and life. The episode’s first half centers on accomplished comedian and writer Phoebe Robinson promoting her new stand-up special, I Don’t Want to Work Anymore and reflecting on her evolving relationship with work, rest, and creativity. The show then detours into pure character-driven riffing with appearances by eccentric festival organizer “Egg Doaf” and, later, a fly-turned-music critic, exploring comic absurdities and improv mayhem.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Phoebe Robinson Interview: The Hustle, Stand-Up, and “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore”

• Location Glamor/Reality:

  • Phoebe jokes about the shift from professional studios to Scott’s ostentatiously large office, with both teasing the risks of revealing their “assassination coordinates.”
    • “Your office is...big.” —Phoebe (03:34)
    • “Thank you. But we don’t need to give away my assassination location coordinates.” —Scott (03:48)

• Her Background & Hustle Culture:

  • Phoebe reflects on moving from Cleveland to Brooklyn for Pratt Institute (writing), and how early-2000s “grind” culture fueled her approach to stand-up and life.
    • “I started doing stand up in 2008 and I just really wanted to really sit down and be like, okay, if you really like put your all into doing an hour and like had a theme, like, what would it be?” —Phoebe (13:28)
  • She discusses the exhaustion and limitations of the “girl boss” mentality:
    • “I don’t think it is gonna set us free and...I just don’t want to be on this hamster wheel anymore.” —Phoebe (14:14)

• Behind the Scenes of Her Comedy Special:

  • Phoebe details her meticulous process (Google Docs, sentence-by-sentence breakdowns, editing via stage trials), emphasizing crafting a thematically tight hour on burnout and reimagining success.
    • “I’ll write a thesis statement...and then whatever falls under that umbrella, like, has a chance to make the cut...” —Phoebe (11:42)
  • Scott lavishes genuine praise on the special, contrasting it to other obligatory “good” reviews:
    • “I always say, oh, they’re really good. I don’t mean it. And they usually fucking suck...but I was like, God damn, she is firing on all cylinders for this.” —Scott (10:27)

• Reevaluating Work-Life Balance:

  • Phoebe opens up about overcoming workaholism, learning to build in rest, efficiency, and therapy, especially post-COVID.
    • “I used to be a workaholic. I went to therapy for it during COVID...I just, you know, build in pockets of rest.” —Phoebe (17:37)

• Retirement & Living More Fully:

  • Scott and Phoebe muse on the fantasy of early retirement; Phoebe notes she missed life moments in her early career and craves time for family, travel, and marathons.
    • “I didn’t like, you know, live that much life...I would just want to spend more time with family and friends, travel, enjoy other hobbies.” —Phoebe (15:45)

• Stand-Up as Labor of Love:

  • Phoebe discusses her ongoing drive—how, despite shooting her special, she quickly returned to clubs, but is learning to “live a little more life” before the next hour.
    • “So I was like, I need to live a little bit more life in order to...” —Phoebe (23:09)

Notable Quotes:

• “This is an exceptional special...you worked super hard on it, I can tell.” —Scott (10:27)
• “If I could marry an old rich dude who will put me in the family will, I would do it.” —Phoebe (14:36)

2. Improv Mayhem: The Martha’s Vineyard “Off the Vine on the Yard” Festival

• Egg Doaf (Vic Michaelis) as Festival Organizer:

  • “Egg” pitches the Off the Vine on the Yard Comedy Festival, Martha’s Vineyard’s (fictional) premiere (and deeply odd) comedy event, loaded with absurd “rules” (e.g., don’t talk about Chappaquiddick, call Tylenol “acetaminophen”), convoluted payment schemes, and an all-you-can-eat (double!) buffet.
    • “Number three, we do not talk about Chappaquiddick…the incident at Chappaquiddick. You’re legally agreeing…” —Egg (34:50)
    • “We want to create a positive atmosphere for the festival. I mean, if you gotta (talk shit), you know, I’m not gonna stop you, but…” —Egg (34:29)

• Festival Casting Absurdity:

  • The line-up includes such luminaries as Bill Burr, Jared from Subway’s future parole officer, and “Danny DeVito (not that one, the Jersey Mike’s mascot),” with Scott and Phoebe negotiating rates that wildly fluctuate depending on their comedic “worth.”
    • *“How much are we going to get paid?” —Phoebe
      “$100,000?...Phoebe gets $1.9 million.” —Egg (40:13)

• Meta Improv on Comedy Pay Equity:

  • Scott and Phoebe riff on the gendered disparity, parodying green-room industry negotiations and improv troupe “yes, and” rules.

• Egg’s Veiled Connection to Chappaquiddick:

  • The festival’s obscure rules and Egg’s elaborate backstory (his grandfather founded “Eg(g)gartown;” he might’ve switched the Chappaquiddick road signs “for fun” in 1969) become a running noir-ish meta bit.
    • “I turned the sign…wouldn’t that be pretty funny?” —Egg (55:41)

Memorable Moments:

• Phoebe: “Don’t you think the audience is gonna get sick of us?” —(51:23)
• Scott: “All you can eat is…all you can eat,” and debates over “double infinity.” (46:27)
• Egg: “Cat style restrooms—giant litter box. That’s how we do it on the yard.” (53:06)

3. Music Critic Fly (Duno/Evan Riley) & Absurd Transformations

• “Duno” the Fly-Music Critic:

  • In a rapid, surreal transition, Vic’s “Egg” character morphs into Duno—a nihilistically philosophical fly who was once human and became an insect after stepping into a mysterious device hidden at a Ross Dress For Less.
    • “At one time I was, Scott, but no longer…I went into a machine I should never have entered.” —Duno (63:00)
    • “Did you learn what it would do?”
      “I took a guess.” —Duno (69:24)

• Oasis Concerts, Transformation, & Embracing the Absurd:

  • Duno waxes on about seeing Oasis’s reunion tour in Scotland—before his transformation—and how music brings people together, even as his own existence is fleeting (“I have moments left”).
    • “Music…does give us life.” —Duno (67:03)
    • “I choose to not look back in anger. Instead, I look forward.” —Duno (73:39)

• Scott & Phoebe Play Along:

  • Spirited round-robin singing/parodying of Oasis and other bands, with Scott, Phoebe, and the characters spiraling into meta-jokes, callback references (shooting the conga, etc.), and botched lyrics.

Noteworthy Quotes:

• Scott: “Were you attracted to flies as a human?” (76:36)
• Duno, earnest: “I was famously celibate during my human life.” (76:45)
• “Her name is Ul Clad... and we've already begun the process of regeneration. That's what we call giving birth and recreating life.” —Duno (79:13)

4. Callbacks, Running Gags & Standout Bits

• Scott’s Host Persona:

  • Endlessly self-deprecating about notes, titles, and his own career failings (“editor, make me look smart...”).

• Phoebe’s Farmer’s Market of Projects:

  • Longform plug for her Special (I Don’t Want to Work Anymore), Instagram/X handle, Bumble presence, and Substack “Thoughts and Prayers.”
  • Casual mention of running Berlin and Philadelphia marathons.

• Meta Podcast/Comedy Bits:

  • Joke auditions segment suggested; “do it all in one episode.”
  • Long negotiation about rates, gender, “offer-only” status for comedy festivals and parole officers.
  • Character names spun from classic “Comedy Bang Bang” wordplay.

• Absurdist Logistics:

  • Buffets containing only two sandwich brands, “double all-you-can-eat” paradox, and “cat-style” restrooms.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Phoebe’s intro & workspace banter: 03:07–04:07
• Discussion of stand-up special, process: 09:48–15:51
• Therapy, self-care, workaholism: 17:37–18:23
• Comedy Festival pitch & absurd negotiation: 31:51–47:21
• Egg/Eglinton character’s Chappaquiddick confession: 55:02–56:19
• Music critic fly (“Duno”, Vic): 62:35–82:30
• Oasis discussion & meta song references: 67:35–75:36
• Final plugs & outro: 81:43–89:59

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “This is an exceptional special...you worked super hard on it, I can tell.” —Scott (10:27)
• “If I could marry an old rich dude who will put me in the family will, I would do it.” —Phoebe (14:36)
• “Number three, we do not talk about Chappaquiddick…You’re legally agreeing to co-sign that you will not talk about…” —Egg (34:50)
• “Cat style restrooms—giant litter box. That’s how we do it on the yard.” —Egg (53:06)
• “I choose not to look back in anger. Instead, I look forward.” —Duno (73:39)
• “I was famously celibate during my human life.” —Duno (76:45)
• “Her name is Ul Clad...we’ve already begun the process of regeneration.” —Duno (79:13)
• “When are you going to die?”
  “Definitely. Maybe.” —Scott & Duno (89:55-89:59)

Structure of Episode

1. Phoebe Robinson segment — Standup craft, career reflections, special promotion (03:07–30:45)
2. Egg Doaf / Festival Organizer segment — Improv, festival pitch, surreality (31:51–60:00)
3. Duno the Fly / Music Critic segment — Absurd transformative comedy, Oasis, philosophical fly (62:35–82:30)
4. Plugs & Wrap-Up — Plug segment, callbacks, meta-commentary (81:43–end)

Tone and Style

The tone is classic CBB—irreverent, hypermeta, affectionate about comedy and show business, with fast banter, inventive sidebar bits, running gags, and deeply silly detours. The episode moves nimbly from real insight (Phoebe’s reflection on burnout and creativity) to full absurdity, never staying in one register for long.

Takeaway for New Listeners

This episode is a stellar representation of Comedy Bang Bang’s anything-goes format. You’ll get sharply funny, thoughtful interview moments—especially whenever Phoebe Robinson is involved—surrounded by the signature unpredictability and comic anarchy that define the show’s 15-year run. Whether you’re interested in comedy craft, meta-skewering of the entertainment industry, or just in it for the parade of ridiculous characters, this episode offers vintage CBB.

Standout Moment:
Scott genuinely lauding Phoebe’s special:

• “This is an exceptional special...God damn, she is firing on all cylinders for this…” (10:27)

Listen to This Episode If:

• You want a mix of real talk about comedy and absurdist improv.
• You’re curious about Phoebe Robinson’s approach to writing and performing.
• You relish Comedy Bang Bang’s world-building and running inside jokes.

Phoebe’s special, “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore,” is out now on YouTube.
Don’t expect to hear much about Chappaquiddick…or do, if you ask the wrong festival organizer.