Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

Episode: "Amber Ruffin Is the Most Fun Person In America"
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Jesse David Fox (Vulture)
Guest: Amber Ruffin

Episode Overview

This episode features comedian, writer, and all-around comedy force Amber Ruffin. The conversation, led with warmth and infectious laughter by Jesse David Fox, delves into Amber’s prolific career in late night, her pivotal roles in "Detroiters" and "The Amber Ruffin Show," her groundbreaking path in improv and sketch (especially via Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago), and her philosophy around comedy—political, silly, and otherwise. The episode is a joyous, candid exploration of how Amber’s irrepressible fun has shaped—and been shaped by—her work, her worldview, and her sense of community in show business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter and Humor

• Amber's energy and quick wit are immediately on display, bantering with Jesse about the unusual quiet and asking, "Is this the level of quiet we're talking today?" [01:47]
• She tells a story about a friend's mistaken street name—where an insurance agent repeated a racist slur—showcasing Amber's ability to find the laugh in an awkward, racially charged moment:

  "I could have fucking died. And we left ourselves sick…This happened to the exact right people. We will laugh about this till we die." [02:09]

Writing for "Detroiters"

[03:16–11:54]

• Amber’s path into the “Detroiters” writers’ room: Through Second City connections and Boom Chicago alumni, including mutual friends Joe Kelly and Jason Sudeikis.
• She describes the writers’ dynamic:

  “When someone asks for a punchline, you have seven seconds before Zach Canaan says the perfect thing.” [07:04]

• Fun on set narratives: The thrill of working with Oba Babatundé and orchestrating a "Dreamgirls" moment for Sam Richardson, culminating in joyful, shared laughter.
• Amber’s personal philosophy:

  “Silliness is the North Star…what people want is you, and they want exactly what you’re thinking, exactly how you think it. And that was the shock of my life.” [11:54]

Origins of Her Silliness

[12:42–14:32]

• Amber credits being the youngest of five in a lively, encouraging family for her freedom to be "lawless" on stage.

  “I'm the baby who was encouraged to never not be a baby one time.” [13:11]

Comedy Through Hard Times

[14:32–16:51]

• Amber asserts that losing optimism or comedic spirit is not an option, even in a tumultuous political era:

  “It's fun to laugh while you're scared because, look, we've been scared. So join the fun.” [14:51]

• She recalls election night 2016 (Trump’s win), bringing energy to a somber “Late Night”:

  “Oh, did you just learn half the country hates your fucking guts? Yeah, no shit. Get into it. We're all together in this. Join the fun.” [15:51]

Comedy and the News: "Have I Got News for You"

[17:07–25:04]

• Amber describes the group therapy aspect of comedy news panels ("all my pent up rage was making me, like a little ill. And then the second we got to work...it just lifts everything. It feels so good." [17:37])
• The balance of fun and gravity: “You gotta look for the joke before you really process what has happened. Because it's in finding the joke that you process.” [18:36]
• On breaking the White House Correspondents’ Dinner tradition: The experience grounded her, reminding her not to put too much weight on work and the absurd seriousness of the process (including hiring a bodyguard for her comedy).

Working With Roy Wood Jr. and Dynamics of Comedy Teams

[22:10–25:04]

• The dynamic with Roy Wood Jr. and Michael Che:

  “If it seems like Roy is the dad and Michael and I are wild children, it seems correct... Roy has to keep the show moving and he has to keep the show grounded. And both Michael and I are agents of chaos.” [22:28]

• Deep camaraderie, offscreen and on: “We are in love and we do text. We love each other very badly.” [23:23]

Late Night Schedules, Multiple Projects, and Professional Joy

[25:46–28:57]

• Amber describes a “maxed-out” week spread across writing, music rehearsals, TV tapes, and standup—and loving every chaotic moment.
• Reflecting on her career:

  “As you're walking through Times Square, the big purple Eminem would be on the thing. I'm the voice of the purple M&M. I'd be like, holy shit. Then you walk to work and then you'd get to be on camera doing the thing. I'd be like, this is it. This is the maximum.” [28:12]

Why "Late Night with Seth Meyers" Works

[28:57–33:06]

• An unusually supportive institution, with low turnover and a happy, close-knit team.
• Amber on show ethos:

  “Seth said... I chose the nicest people. And it's true. And each person is more sweet than the last.” [29:36]

• The origin and mechanics of "Jokes Seth Can't Tell", created to include sharp, funny jokes otherwise “too gay” or race-specific for Seth—spotlighting diversity and comic risk-taking within mainstream formats.

The Shifting Landscape of Late Night

[33:39–36:12]

• An honest reflection on the contraction of traditional late-night platforms:

  “It makes me feel lucky because these people been dropping like flies for years… There was a time where there were so many late night that there was…a controversy of a cover of all these men.” [34:08]

Building Community, Representation & Support Networks

[41:38–44:27]

• The real legacy of "The Amber Ruffin Show" is not just laughs but friendships formed among staff and writers.
• Recounting the powerful, supportive network among Black women in late-night writing:

   “We got a table this fucking big. It was 10 of us and that was everyone. And I'm saying 10, it might have been eight, but it was literally every black woman in late night. And it was just the coolest thing.” [42:16]

Boom Chicago: Improv Roots in Amsterdam

[44:27–52:10]

• Wild stories, youthful energy, and show business lessons from Boom Chicago in Amsterdam:

  “The thing was you would move there and you were young, you were in your early 20s, and you didn't know no better than to act crazy...because you had shows, five to nine shows a week, you were at the top of your fucking game.” [45:01]

• On the house-as-home principle:

  “The place where you are performing is your house. These people are in your home. So however, whatever behavior you would allow in your home, that's the behavior that's allowed here.” [47:10]

• The pay-off: Learning crisp, clear delivery and the ability to unite any crowd—“that basic shit that people go to theater school and pay a lot of money to learn. We learned it by fire.” [50:35]

Comedy as Survival; Race & Political Purpose

[51:37–56:42]

• Addressing a core theme—the function and necessity of humor for both survival and communication as a Black woman in comedy. Citing Laughing to Keep from Dying by Danielle Fuentes Morgan, Jesse tees up:

  “If black people didn't find the comedy in racism, which we always do, you'd have a bunch of fucking dead black people.” [51:39]

• The murder of George Floyd marked a turning point for Amber:

  “I feel like I'm two people. I'm before the murder of George Floyd and I'm after. Once I realized...people don't believe black people.” [53:34]

• Harnessing late-night platforms for honest storytelling and vital perspective.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Silliness:
  “Silliness is the North Star…you realize you can be as silly as you want, and that’s the very thing that people want to see.” – Amber Ruffin [11:54]

• On Coping During Crisis:
  “It’s fun to laugh while you’re scared because, look, we’ve been scared. So join the fun.” – Amber Ruffin [14:51]

• On Her Approach to Collaboration:
  “That’s what makes it special, is them pulling the Venn diagram closer, you know, pulling those two circles closer and closer together and you doing the same, and it makes you better, you know?” – Amber Ruffin [65:55]

• On Black Female Comedy Networks:
  “It is like this little brotherhood sisterhood where it’s like, remember when we were forging our way through and everybody's shit is so much worse than mine… it’s tough out there.” – Amber Ruffin [43:40]

• On the Transition After George Floyd's Murder:
  “I feel like I'm two people. I'm before the murder of George Floyd and I'm after. And once I realized that… that really activated me because I'm like, you can't see. It's in here. It's in the air, it's in the water. It's everywhere. You can't see it.” – Amber Ruffin [53:34]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [02:09] – Amber’s Pinkney Street mishearing story
• [03:16–11:54] – Detroiters: writers’ room, favorite moments, silliness
• [14:51] – Coping with political and social tumult via comedy
• [17:37] – “Have I Got News for You” and processing headlines with comedy
• [22:28] – Roy Wood Jr. as grounding force and friend
• [25:46–28:57] – Amber’s week: balancing multiple, joyful commitments
• [29:36] – Seth Meyers’s leadership and Late Night writer dynamics
• [33:39–36:12] – Late night TV contraction
• [42:16] – Assembling every Black woman in late night
• [45:01–52:10] – Boom Chicago stories and improv lessons
• [53:34] – Post-George Floyd, political comedy, honesty
• [56:42–64:13] – Lightning “Laughing Round”: favorite jokes, writers’ room stories, bombing

Additional Highlights

Amber’s Favorite “Amber Ruffin Show” Song

• The post-Capitol riot song “White People Facing Consequences Fills Me With Joy” [37:15], later performed by El DeBarge.

Greatest Hits Writers’ Room Stories

• Chili and crockpot feasts at Late Night [61:15]
• Wild matching J.Crew outfit shopping as a team
• Making margaritas at 5 p.m. to change the vibe in the room

Comedy Philosophy

• Amber’s open attitude: “I really don’t [judge what is and isn’t comedy] because I don’t like to stop people from having a good time.” [64:31]
• On unlikely comedy future icons: “Julio Torres is the proof that comedy is everything. And you don’t know where it’s going yet.” [65:55]

Tone and Atmosphere

Amber’s relentless optimism, playfulness, and candor permeate the episode, with Jesse providing both comic foils and insightful, empathetic prompts. Their rapport is fun, fast-moving, and honest, oscillating between silliness and depth; the interview is as much a chronicle of Amber’s career as it is a living example of comedic resilience and joy.

If You Missed It...

This episode is essential listening for fans of late night TV, sketch and improv comedy, or anyone seeking inspiration from someone who refuses to let hardship, pressure, or industry norms dull her energy or sense of fun. It’s a testament to how irreverence, curiosity, and community are the making of great comedy—and great comedians like Amber Ruffin.