Fitzdog Radio Episode 1115

Guest: Dana Gould | Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of Fitzdog Radio, comedian Greg Fitzsimmons welcomes fellow comic, writer, and friend Dana Gould for an in-depth, funny, and wide-ranging conversation. The two veterans of the Boston comedy scene reflect on their origins, discuss the evolution of stand-up, explore the effects of podcasting and social media on comedy, and share personal stories from the road—blending comedy nerdery, cultural critique, and their unmistakably self-deprecating style. The episode is rich with comedy history, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, philosophical musings, and sharp bits of wit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Health Check-Ins (00:00-09:58)

• Greg’s post-surgery haze:
  Greg is freshly post-knee surgery and “a little bit drugged up,” which adds a loose, loopy flavor to the intro. He details his recovery process and upcoming comedy dates.
• Sports in LA:
  Greg celebrates a triumphant LA sports weekend: “We won the fucking World Series.”
• Best Buddies charity:
  Greg plugs his work with Best Buddies and the inclusion of breakout personalities from “Love on the Spectrum.”

2. Comedy Roots & Creative Side Projects (09:58-18:00)

• Dana’s comic persona and mental health transparency:
  Dana reflects on being lauded for openness about mental health in comedy:

  “Thank you for starting your HBO special with ‘Hello, I’m Dana Gould, and I’m in a lot of pain.’ That helped me a great deal.” (10:24)

• Mark Twain as Dr. Zaius:
  Dana describes his creative live bit as Dr. Zaius from “Planet of the Apes” performing as Mark Twain—a side project that’s grown from a hobby to a cult phenomenon.
• Audience connection:
  Dana acknowledges his “super-specific” core fans:

  “My audience is men my age who are me.” (17:52)

3. Music Heroes & Live Performances (18:00-22:00)

• Elvis Costello as a model for comedy sets:
  Dana and Greg discuss the importance of tight, impactful performances, riffing on musicians’ approach to live shows.
  • Dana’s faves: “I think King of America is his greatest album, but if you were introducing somebody to him, I would give them ‘This Year’s Model.’” (18:44)
• On doing long sets:
  “No, do it. Get off at 60 minutes exactly.” (19:40)

4. The Evolving Comedy Scene (22:00-35:00)

• Big shows vs. small rooms:
  Greg describes the “disconnected” feeling in massive arenas compared to the intimacy of clubs.
  • “You feel like you’re floating. Like there was no contact at any moment whatsoever.” (21:32)
• Club versus arena dynamics:
  Dana: “It has almost inverse to do with how good of a comedian you are sometimes.” (23:26)
• Comedy standards and joke theft in Boston:
  Both reminisce about the hyper-competitive, insular Boston comedy circuit.
  • Fistfights over jokes were commonplace: “A fight...over this joke: ‘Is it just me or does ET look like a piece of shit?’” (28:09)
• Different comedy worlds in Boston:
  “It looked like somebody spilled a bag of marshmallows.” (27:28) —on the diversity (or lack thereof) in the Boston scene.
• Rise of the ‘alt’ (alternative) scene:
  Dana discusses the split between mainstream and alternative rooms, and the impact figures like Jeanine Garofalo and Kathy Griffin had in blending and bridging those scenes.
  • “Kathy walked into that fully formed as Kathy Griffin...then she took off.” (35:20)

5. Inside Comedy: Craft, Longevity, and Personal Growth (35:00-44:30)

• The art of the personal:
  Dana credits the alt scene with helping him be more personal and authentic on stage.
• Staying power & pride:
  Both comics express gratitude for still filling seats decades into their careers:
  • “I’m so grateful that I still get to do it...put people in seats in Cincinnati or Acme...” (42:49)
• Balancing art and audience:
  Greg: “I want my peers to respect me. I want to do material that people don’t ever call hacky. But at the same time...I want these people to walk out happy.” (43:59)
• Approaching hot-button topics:
  Dana shares that framing issues through personal stories “puts people at ease.”

6. The Modern Comedy Landscape: Podcasts, Social Media, Economics (44:30-59:37)

• Rise of podcasting’s influence:
  Podcasting has shaped how audiences connect with comedians, for better and sometimes for formulaic worse.
• Dana’s podcast as art project:
  Greg: “You put more effort into your podcast than anybody does...It’s like Bob Dylan’s radio, but for no reason.” (38:00)
• Homage to Joe Frank and Theme Time Radio:
  Gould talks about his creative influences in podcasting—surreal, narrative radio legends.
• Comedy business realities:
  Discussion about shrinking club margins, added self-promo demands, “doing it all” (editing, marketing, posting).
• Economic pressures:
  Dana outlines how rising inequality and gig economy logics have fundamentally changed comedy careers:

  “Everybody is fighting harder for less money...You are not only fighting harder for less money, but you have to pick up all that slack and do all of this stuff yourself.” (59:29)

7. Culture, Politics, and Societal Shifts (59:37-64:26)

• AI, job loss, and social trends:
  Greg and Dana broaden the lens to societal issues, from the 2008 financial crisis aftermath to the rise of the gig economy and decline of universal culture.
• Public education & politics:
  Dana:

  “I don’t know where this ends. We are at a weird...beginning of the end. Of the end of the beginning...” (62:38)

• Slow pace of systemic change:
  Greg: “It’s not a sailboat...It’s a giant oil tanker.”

8. Fastballs with Fitz: Q&A Lightning Round (64:26-76:00)

• Clubs & Regrets:
  • Dana on the Friars Club and an uncomfortable lunch with Milton Berle.
  • Major regret: appearing in a documentary about Apu from “The Simpsons” and being edited unfairly:

    “The same question was asked of me 11 times until I finally went ‘I don’t know.’ And then that’s what they use.” (66:30)

• Fights on stage:
  • Dana recalls stopping a show at Cobbs in SF so the police could eject an unruly audience member. (67:51)
• Worst opener:
  • “Perry Kurtz...He looked like Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo but would strip...[He] had a motorcycle called the Pericycle...He was trying to pick up this waitress who was like 18, [so] I said, be careful, he has herpes.” (68:10)
• Eulogy wishes:
  • Dana jokes about who should eulogize him; “Maybe Bob [Goldthwait] would be good.” (70:39)
• On vacation styles:
  They compare philosophies: Dana wants to relax, Greg wants to explore.

9. Memorable Stories & Notable Quotes

• On joke theft in Boston:

  "If you stole somebody’s joke, you get beat up. Physical damage perpetuated on people." (27:51)

• Dana’s audience:

  "My audience is men my age who are me." (17:52)

• Club economics:

  "You get a percentage of the net, and they’ll take out sometimes 15, $20,000 in expenses...What are they spending? ‘Marketing’. I haven’t seen a fucking tweet!" (56:29)

• On the meaning of comedy:

  "To me...what comedy is [is] a person that is vulnerable. And you can relate to them...like Richard Pryor." (47:38)

• A hacky bit, by Dana Gould:

  "What I like about Halloween is it’s the first time kids are professionally lied to. ‘Fun size’ candy bars. It’s a lot less candy than you thought you were gonna get. That means it’s more fun." (77:29)

10. Tour Dates and Plugs (79:21-End)

• Both comics recall their early days working together (Punchline SF, radio promotions).
• Dana and Greg share upcoming tour dates in Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and beyond.
• Dana: “I will find out I have a gig by...getting tagged on Instagram. Oh, is that tonight?” (81:28)

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• Mental health in comedy:
  “I did Marin, and he was like, ‘You and Maria Bamford are really the two that, like, openly dealt with mental health issues.’” – Dana Gould (10:24)
• On Boston’s homogeneity:
  “It looked like somebody spilled a bag of marshmallows.” – Dana Gould (27:28)
• On joke theft repercussions:
  “You stole somebody’s joke, you get beat up. Physical damage perpetuated on people.” – Dana Gould (27:51)
• Summing up today's comedy business:
  “You are not only fighting harder for less money, but you have to pick up all that slack and do all of this stuff yourself.” – Dana Gould (59:29)
• On audience specificity:
  “My audience is men my age who are me.” – Dana Gould (17:52)
• Perspective on specials/albums:
  “I remember when having a special and having an album was like, you made it; now you— the MC has an album.” – Dana Gould (53:41)
• On Gratefulness:
  “I’m so grateful that I still get to do it. There are not a ton of people from our class still out there.” – Dana Gould (42:49)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening & Sports/Early Banter: 00:00–09:58
• Dana Joins, Mental Health Openness: 10:10–11:14
• Mark Twain/Dr. Zaius stories: 12:00–17:00
• Music & Stand-up Parallels: 18:10–22:00
• Comedy Evolution, Boston Tales: 22:00–35:00
• Comedy Craft, Staying Power: 35:00–44:30
• Comedy Biz, Social Media: 44:30–59:37
• Society, Politics, Economy: 59:37–64:26
• Fastballs with Fitz (Q&A): 64:26–76:00
• Hacky Bit, Storytelling & Tour Dates: 77:13-End

Closing Thoughts

This conversation between Greg Fitzsimmons and Dana Gould is a masterclass in stand-up comedy’s history, evolution, and inside baseball, but also an honest look at what it means to still be grinding creatively and personally in midlife. The camaraderie, quick-draw stories, and razor-sharp observations capture not just where comedy has been, but the very human anxieties and joys of making people laugh—on any stage, in any era.