Podcast Summary
Podcast: Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Episode: 183 – Ryan Hamilton Returns: “You Better Have Some Jokes”
Guests: Mike Birbiglia (Host), Ryan Hamilton (Guest)
Date: September 8, 2025
Episode Overview
In this engaging return episode, comedian Ryan Hamilton joins Mike Birbiglia to “work out” brand-new stand-up material and dig into both the mechanics and emotional elements of comedy. The conversation explores how life events shape a comedian’s act, the behind-the-scenes routines of touring comics (including opening for Jerry Seinfeld), and the process of transforming personal tragedy into comedy—most notably, Ryan’s harrowing, yet hilarious, experience of being hit by a shuttle bus. The two also discuss the evolution of stand-up, the popularity (and function) of crowd work, and the emotional toll of the creative process.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Jerry Seinfeld Touring Routine
[03:26 – 06:36]
- Hamilton shares what it's like opening for Jerry Seinfeld:
- Seinfeld maintains a meticulous, simple, and enjoyable touring routine:
- 9:00am breakfast at Jerry’s hotel room, regardless of arrival time.
- Private movie screenings pre-selected by Jerry, who often forgets what he picked.
- Lunch at a local spot, then a half-hour walk (or treadmill if rainy) while discussing bits for that night’s show.
- Several hours for writing or meditation before the show.
- Seinfeld maintains a meticulous, simple, and enjoyable touring routine:
- On the importance of routines for comedians:
- Hamilton admires how Seinfeld tweaks not just jokes, but life routines, for maximal quality of life and creativity.
- On the challenge for comics without Seinfeld's resources:
- Birbiglia jokes: “It’s very simple. You just start with a billion dollars.” (05:03)
- Hamilton notes that even a simplified version of the routine helps create balance and predictability.
2. Balancing Life and Comedy
[06:36 – 08:13]
- Birbiglia feels highly productive but lacks balance in personal life; Hamilton feels the reverse.
- Hamilton’s writing style is stage-focused:
- He admits, “I’m constantly creating just because I get on stage constantly... but I’m not at home forcing myself to write as much as I should.” (07:38)
- His last special was seven years ago, highlighting the slow, meticulous process of crafting a new hour.
3. The Agony of Opening Jokes
[08:14 – 10:52]
- Opening jokes are notoriously hard to write.
- Hamilton: “The opener is still not... I’m not happy with it.” (08:49)
- Birbiglia shares John Mulaney’s view: “It’s impossible to write an opening joke.” (09:11)
- Gaffigan is mentioned as someone especially skilled at this.
- Good openers must quickly establish persona, context, and be immediately funny—no easy task.
- Hamilton recalls opening his last special with “Should we start with my face?”—an evergreen, distinctive introduction.
4. Evergreen Specials and Clean Comedy
[10:59 – 12:32]
- Hamilton’s special “Happy Face” (Netflix) is praised for being clean and timeless.
- He designs material with longevity in mind:
- “I always am thinking that way. I like designing stand up to make it last as long as possible.” (11:09)
- His upcoming special is directed and produced by fellow comic Nate Bargatze, a long-time friend and collaborator.
5. The “Crowd Work” Phenomenon
[12:32 – 18:28]
- Responding to a question about icy rooms:
- Hamilton admits he’ll pivot to crowd interaction if jokes aren’t landing, even though he isn’t naturally drawn to “crowd work.”
- Birbiglia observes, “When a comedian says, ‘you guys are a good crowd,’ you know they’re panicking.” (14:51)
- Crowd work as a crutch, but audiences love it:
- Despite being a fallback for many comics, crowd work clips are viral online.
- Hamilton jokes about the “four pillars” of crowd work:
- Where are you from?
- Are you dating?
- What do you do for a living?
- (If all else fails) Nice shirt.
6. Small Town Upbringing and Getting Started in Comedy
[18:28 – 22:02]
- Hamilton grew up in rural Idaho, started as a humor columnist at age 12.
- Newspapers were open to anyone: “I called the county newspaper in Idaho and said, can I have a column?... They would just go, yes, because, you know, why not?” (19:14)
- The rural upbringing forced him to try everything—writing, sports, broadcasting.
- Contrast with Birbiglia’s city upbringing: Getting noticed is far harder in a big market.
7. Transforming Tragedy Into Comedy: Getting Hit By a Bus
[22:31 – 47:47]
-
Hamilton describes both the trauma and recovery from being hit by a (large) airport shuttle bus—a centerpiece for his new material:
- “If someone says, I got hit by a car, people go, I’m so sorry. But if someone says, I got hit by a bus, people go, I’m so sorry. How did you not see it?” (23:03)
- The comedic half-life is shorter, the bigger (and more absurd) the vehicle.
- Hamilton’s recovery involved intense physical therapy and relearning basic physical routines. There were doubts about ever performing at full strength again.
- Brought more personal storytelling into his act—a new and uncomfortable but creatively rich direction.
-
Memorable scene: Hamilton and his mother buy marijuana together for post-accident anxiety, resulting in a surprisingly compassionate dispensary experience.
- “My mom says... My son was hit by a bus, and we were wondering if you might have anything that could take the edge off of that.” (42:07)
-
On the complexities of describing trauma on stage:
- Hamilton tests new material about the specifics of the accident, including a disorienting moment where, after impact, he can’t see his hand (it’s behind his back, but he doesn’t realize).
- Birbiglia encourages Hamilton to include more vivid, moment-by-moment accounts—even at the cost of laughs per minute—because audiences connect with the realness.
Notable Quotes on Comedy and Tragedy
- Hamilton: “Comedy is not tragedy plus time. When you get hit by a bus, it’s a comedy immediately.” (23:03)
- Birbiglia: “Audiences, in a certain way, want to connect on that ... they crave the truth in those extreme moments.” (46:49)
8. The Emotional Landscape of Ticket Sales and Career Anxiety
[31:20 – 32:26]
- Hamilton expresses envy of comics who easily sell tickets, revealing a universal insecurity among performers:
- “I’m just jealous of people who are selling tickets... I just want that experience where you just, like, post your dates and then people show up.” (31:34)
- Birbiglia confirms that this anxiety over attendance never fully disappears, regardless of career level.
9. Rethinking Beliefs (Recycling Discussion)
[33:04 – 35:03]
- Hamilton admits cynicism about the efficacy of recycling versus his beliefs a decade ago, but both find hope in new research showing paper, glass, and cardboard recycling is still effective.
10. Oversharing and Personal Habits
[35:33 – 36:19]
- Hamilton prefers oversharing to lying: “I generally tell too much of the truth more than I lie. I can’t handle the burden of it.”
- Birbiglia points out how this instinct shapes the comedic impulse to be the “narrator” of one’s own marriage or life.
11. Workshopping New Jokes and Material
[37:27 – 45:55]
- In a signature “working it out” segment, both run through ideas in their notebooks, critique, and riff:
- Birbiglia’s story about a driver mouthing “What’s wrong with you?” and how life’s strangers can become unexpected hecklers.
- Hamilton’s story about buying weed with his mom and relatable anxieties about digital devices and parenting.
- Hamilton considers an opener on the modern struggle to focus, likening stand-up to an artifact from a more social past.
- “Maybe one day you’ll be walking through a museum... There’ll be a little plaque... ‘Society was very anxious. So much so they would plan their laughter together at specific times.’” (53:27)
Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps
- Chris Rock advice:
- “You better have some jokes.” (Hamilton describing sage career advice from Chris Rock, [30:27])
- On crowd work panic signals:
- Birbiglia: “When a comedian says, you guys are a good crowd, you know they’re panicking.” (14:51)
- On tragedy and comedy timing:
- Hamilton: “Comedy is not tragedy plus time. ... If someone says, I got hit by a bus, people go, I’m so sorry. How did you not see it?” (23:03)
- On ticket sale insecurity:
- Hamilton: “I’m just jealous of people who are selling tickets.” (31:34)
- On focus and stand-up as an endangered ritual:
- Hamilton: “Maybe one day you’ll be walking through a museum... There’ll be a little plaque... Society was very anxious. So much so that they would actually plan their laughter together.” (53:27)
- On oversharing:
- Hamilton: “I can't handle the burden of it [lying], so I'll unload a lot of information that I don't need to unload ... I overshare.” (35:44)
Timestamps of Important Segments
- 03:26 – 06:36: Life lessons and tour routines from Jerry Seinfeld
- 08:14 – 10:52: The challenge of writing perfect opening jokes
- 12:32 – 18:28: The function and perception of crowd work in modern comedy
- 18:28 – 22:02: Hamilton’s Idaho upbringing and path into comedy
- 22:31 – 47:47: In-depth exploration of Hamilton’s recovery from his bus accident and integrating personal material into stand-up
- 31:20 – 32:26: Anxiety over ticket sales and universal performer insecurity
- 37:27 – 45:55: “Work it out” segment: trading and workshopping joke ideas
- 53:27: Hamilton’s meta-opener about live comedy and fleeting human focus
Working Out for a Cause
[54:59]
- Hamilton spotlights “Scott Hamilton Cares”—a nonprofit dedicated to funding innovative cancer research.
- More info: scottcares.org
Tone & Language
- The episode is conversational, playful, and honest, with both comedians candidly discussing vulnerability, insecurity, and the grind behind stand-up’s punchlines. Their language is warm, self-deprecating, and inviting, providing a uniquely honest window into comedy’s triumphs and challenges—on and off stage.
Recommended for:
Listeners interested in comedy as both craft and survival mechanism, fans of both Birbiglia and Hamilton, stand-up insiders, and anyone curious about how everyday struggles and extraordinary events become universal stories.