Podcast Summary: Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend

Episode: "Putting The Fun Back In Funeral" with Special Guest Paul Scheer

Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend is a playful and oddly heartwarming conversation about the funeral industry, mortality, and putting humor in unexpected places. Conan, Matt Gourley, Sona Movsesian, and guest Paul Scheer welcome fan-guest Josh, a direct-to-consumer casket & urn entrepreneur, and dive into the logistics, realities, customs, and absurdities of funerals. They riff on casket shopping, quirks of the American death industry, and the ways humor—sometimes dark, sometimes light—helps people navigate grief.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Meet Josh: The Lighthearted Funeral Director (02:03–03:47)

• Josh introduces himself: husband, father of three, and founder of a funeral products company in Bellevue, WA, attending a funeral industry conference in Chicago.
• Paul Scheer jokes about the necessity of a “funeral convention,” to which Josh quips, “Attend one in your life—no more!” (03:31)
• The group immediately finds humor in Josh’s line of work; Matt and Conan tease about “buying caskets in bulk.”

2. Funeral Industry Truths & Consumer Rights (03:47–04:41)

• Josh explains the “funeral rule,” an FTC law allowing consumers to buy funeral products independently, not just through funeral homes. “Most families just don’t know they can shop around—they end up spending too much.” (03:50)
• His company offers caskets and urns at half the typical price, even selling through Costco, Sam’s Club, and Amazon.

3. Bulk Caskets, Sizing, and Funeral Logistics (04:41–06:12)

• Conan and Matt riff on the idea of buying multiple caskets at Costco; Josh confirms “no one's ever filled up their trunk with more than one” at a time. (04:54)
• Paul and Conan probe the logistics: “What if the casket doesn’t fit?”—Josh assures: “He'll fit. We'll make sure he fits.” (05:35)
  • Paul (joking): “Please change the name of your funeral company to ‘We’ll Make Sure They Fit.’” (05:59)

4. Why Spend So Much on a Casket? (06:12–07:52)

• Matt and Paul debate the high cost and pointlessness of casket upselling, given that they “just immediately go in the ground.” (06:40)
• Paul admits loving the idea of a KISS coffin; Conan recounts when Gene Simmons promoted KISS coffins on his show.
• Josh: “You should not overspend. It’s all aesthetics and markups. They do the same thing.” (07:35)

5. Death Fears: The Bell in the Coffin (08:01–08:39)

• Paul jokes about wanting a string and bell just in case he wakes up.
• Matt: “George Washington wanted that. His big fear was being buried alive...” (08:10)
• Sonam interrupts, skeptical: “Did they really poke him with sticks?”
• Matt admits: “Maybe I made that up—now you’ve ruined it.” (08:36, laughter)

6. Helping Families—With Empathy and Humor (08:43–09:09)

• Conan and Matt commend Josh’s genuine desire to help families avoid unnecessary expenses: “It sounds like you’re really helping people.” (08:43)
• Josh: “It’s incredibly rewarding to guide people through a really tough period.” (08:57)

7. Alternate Afterlife Plans (Crime Shows, Tableaux & More) (09:09–11:30)

• Matt asks if his body could be donated to appear as a corpse on a procedural TV show (09:09), and the group riffs on “final performances”—including references to Weekend at Bernie’s.
• Discussion turns to “tableaux” funerals, where the deceased is staged in lifelike scenes. Paul has a photo of such a scene: “It’s like an exhibit in the Smithsonian.” (11:24)

8. “Putting the Fun in Funeral”: Industry Stereotypes & Humor (12:00–13:20)

• Conan and Matt tease Josh on whether funeral directors party at conventions; Josh laughs: “I wouldn’t say it’s the most lively crew.” (12:36)
• Matt: “Being around death should make you want to feel more alive!” Josh agrees: “It makes me appreciate things more—but not necessarily party more.” (12:53)
• Paul coins, “You’re not putting the fun back in funeral.” Josh: “We ARE putting the fun in funeral. Not on the streets of Chicago, but yeah.” (13:09)

9. The Mascot “Mort”: Plush Coffin as Morale Booster (19:06–21:20)

• Josh introduces “Mort,” a coffin plushie encouraging families to plan ahead. He shares Mort’s mascot antics at a Worcester Red Sox game: “He lost the mascot race pretty badly, but he put in a good effort... and died out there.” (19:43, laughter)
• Conan and Matt compare Mort with food mascots that gleefully accept their fates.
• Paul (joking as Mort): “I want you inside of me.” (21:08)
• Josh: “He just wants you to plan your funeral—not to die, but to plan.” (21:10)

10. Urns: Options, Customization & Humor (21:44–22:50)

• Josh confirms many buy urns; Matt notes “everyone’s got jars at home.” (21:48)
• Josh: “It’s all about aesthetics. Envision what you want for your loved one—we’ll have it.” (22:13)
• Discussion of burying urns as a way to create a physical memorial, even if, as Matt says, “people visit for a year or two and then... the grave goes untended.” (22:58)

11. Societal Avoidance of Death (25:14–25:27)

• Matt: “We are a society that’s largely removed all thinking about death. Advertising scrubs away the elderly. It’s not discussed…”
• Josh: “Right.” (25:27)

12. “Funeral Procedurals”: TV Pitch Riffing (25:51–27:20)

• Matt floats, “Have you ever suspected someone of murder because they asked about caskets early?” Josh jokingly claims the Costco bulk guy is a suspect. (25:51)
• Paul pitches a procedural TV show: “The funeral director who solves murders!” (26:09) The group riffs on this, envisioning a Columbo-style, non-scientist sleuth.

13. Conan’s Ultimate Casket & Ghanaan Coffin Traditions (27:31–29:09)

• Josh asks what Conan’s ideal casket would be. Conan describes filming in Ghana, where people commission ornate, custom caskets (e.g., shaped like beer bottles).
• Conan: “I want to be able to watch myself for all eternity. They built me a casket with a TV that faces in, and I can watch my shows on a loop.” (28:22–28:41)
• Conan laughs that his funeral plans are set—no sale today for Josh.

14. Touching Closing Reflections on Generational Humor (29:46–31:08)

• Josh thanks Conan for years of laughter, recalling childhood memories watching The Simpsons with his father, and now sharing Conan’s work with his own kids: “No one’s made me laugh more in my life than you.” (30:03)
• Matt reflects on losing both parents and how TV comedy connects generations: “I would clock what my dad laughed at. That was imprinted on my DNA.” (30:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Scheer (on casket sizing):
  “Please change the name of your funeral company to ‘We’ll Make Sure They Fit.’” (05:59)

• Matt Gourley (on casket shopping):
  “There’s part of you thinking—it’s going immediately in the ground...” (06:40)

• Josh (on helping families):
  “At the end of the day, we have a team here who’s here to guide somebody through a really difficult period. It’s incredibly rewarding to run this business.” (08:57)

• On Mort, the casket plushie:
  Paul: “I want you inside of me.” (21:08)

• Matt Gourley (on confronting mortality):
  “We are a society that’s largely removed all thinking about death. It’s not discussed.” (25:14)

• Paul Scheer (pitching TV): “The funeral director who solves murders!” (26:09)

• Conan (about custom caskets):
  “I want to be able to watch myself for all eternity. They built me a casket with a TV that faces in, and I can watch on a loop...” (28:22)

• Josh (heartfelt moment):
  “No one’s made me laugh more in my life than you... The generational impact you’ve had...” (30:03)

• Matt Gourley (on generational laughter): “I would clock what my dad laughed at... That was imprinted on my DNA.” (30:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:03 | Josh (fan guest) introduced, funeral business explained | | 03:47 | FTC funeral rule, buying caskets/urns direct | | 05:01 | Sizing caskets, logistics, humor about fit | | 06:12 | Why people overspend on funerals, personal stories | | 08:01 | Bell in the coffin; fear of being buried alive | | 09:09 | Using bodies for TV procedurals, alternative send-offs | | 11:30 | Funerals as tableau/scenes, American & anecdotal customs | | 12:00 | “Partying” in the funeral industry, fun in funerals | | 19:06 | Mort the plush casket mascot, marketing, generational humor | | 22:28 | Urn selection, urn humor, social traditions | | 25:14 | Societal avoidance of death, changing funeral discourse | | 25:51 | Murder mystery/funeral director procedural TV show riff | | 27:31 | Conan’s casket dreams, Ghana casket story | | 29:46 | Heartfelt closing, generational impact of comedy |

Final Thoughts

This episode blends dark comedy and real talk about death, funerals, and grieving. Conan, Paul, and the team gently lampoon the business of dying, all while reminding listeners that humor and honest conversation can comfort even in life’s most serious moments. Guest Josh provides real insight into an often-overlooked side of life, and the episode ends with moving reflections on the generational power of laughter, both giving and receiving.

For listeners or those pondering the realities of “the final purchase”—this episode proves you can talk about death and still spark a lot of joy.