Podcast Summary: Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out – Ep. 191: Todd Glass, The Ultimate Comic's Comic

Release Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Mike Birbiglia
Guest: Todd Glass

Overview

In this engaging episode, Mike Birbiglia welcomes legendary comedian Todd Glass for a lively and wide-ranging conversation. They reflect on decades in stand-up, uncover the evolving nature of authenticity in comedy, share inner workings of joke writing, and riff on the joy of breaking all the “rules” of the art form. The discussion is filled with irreverence, heart, and insight, charting Todd’s journey from the closet to absolute comedic and personal honesty.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "No Rules" Approach to Comedy

[00:00 – 09:11]

• Mike recalls witnessing Todd’s improvisational bravado:
  • “I remember I was at the DC Improv and you were improvising on stage, and then you reached over and someone had chicken fingers on their table and you just start eating it.” (Mike, 00:00)
• Todd: Always hungry on stage, improvises both for the bit and out of genuine hunger.
• Mike credits seeing Todd as changing his perception: “I didn’t understand in stand-up comedy there were no rules.” (04:50)
• Todd reflects on inspiration flowing both ways between established and new comics:
  • “People that inspire you, you end up inspiring them back...they forget, no, they inspire you too.” (05:11)

2. Evolving the Comedy Experience

[06:11 – 09:56]

• Todd describes his show at Second City, Brooklyn:
  • “It’s a standup comedy show...but with, just to make it more of an event.” (06:42)
  • “I have a five-piece band playing as they enter.” (06:23)
• Shift in writing: Working with comics like Daniel Kino encourages Todd to “bare my soul a little more,” leading to a deeper, authentic act (07:49).
• The process of “punch-writing”: Multiple writing approaches, such as tightening jokes, rewording, and clarifying meaning.

3. Creative Risks and Artistic Investment

[09:11 – 10:22]

• Todd shares the trade-off: losing money on early shows that had a higher artistic vision, echoing Mike’s own experience with “Sleepwalk with Me.”
• “Sometimes you bet the farm...I couldn’t. I was thrilled to do it.” (09:56 – 10:19)

4. Handling Hecklers & Gender Stereotypes

[10:22 – 12:22]

• Viral video of Todd dismantling a heckler (Davis, CA): “I want to take that down because it’s so sexist...always women. I want to go, no, it’s not.” (10:38)
• Mike: The key is Glass’s measured, reasonable approach to heckling (“you’re actually pointing out that what they’re doing is not acceptable”—10:57).
• Riffs on the logic (or ill-logic) of disruptive audience behavior, with Mike’s punchline: “their friends know they suck.” (12:09)

5. Authenticity & Coming Out

[12:22 – 17:49]

• Judd Apatow’s question: Did being closeted affect your style?
• Todd: “Not only did it make me not talk about being gay, but it made me not talk about other things that I cared about, like ambiance.” (13:04)
• Details of hiding aspects of personal life, even small things like setting the table, out of fear of being “outed.”
• Post-coming out: “The floodgates just opened of me being comfortable to be me.” (14:25)
• On-set references (changing “girlfriend” to “boyfriend”): “Which proves...how much relationships are relationships.” (15:57)
• Mike: “Being a truer version of yourself.” (17:06)
• Both agree: “Authenticity benefits all.” (17:49)
• Gary Shandling wisdom: “Authenticity probably will be something in music and comedy...” (17:54)

6. Social Responsibility in Comedy

[18:04 – 21:42]

• Citing Garry Shandling’s advice: “Be careful your jokes don’t feed idiots.” (18:05)
• Mike shares his choice to avoid “men do this, women do that” bits: “I don’t judge people who do, but I...” (18:48)
• Todd walks through how joke framing can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes, and the importance of thinking creatively about inclusivity in language:
  • “It’s not that hard if you’re not mad at it.” (20:40)

7. The “Can’t Say Anything” Debate & Peanut Allergy Riff

[21:08 – 23:41]

• Todd revisits his longstanding bit about comics complaining, “you can’t say anything anymore.”
• Debates preachiness vs. funniness.
• Todd’s “peanut allergy” joke as an example of using punchline to flip assumptions—leading to Mike sharing his own peanut butter allergy bit (“Now it’s like peanut butter murders kids”—23:01).

8. Breaking Conventions and Influences

[27:03 – 30:29]

• Mike and Todd discuss Todd’s “Andy Kaufman-esque” shows (chicken fingers, freewheeling behavior).
• Early gigs opening up for musical greats: “Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin...” (28:07)
• The aesthetics of classic show business: dark rooms, band entrances, old-school theatrics.
• Influence of an intimate, immersive small-room show on Todd’s current act:
  • “There’s something about giving people a...larger than life show in this little room.” (30:28)

9. Pathways Into Comedy

[30:52 – 34:33]

• Both Mike and Todd started by working the door/box office at comedy clubs to learn from watching.
• “Watching comics who are nothing like you” is incredibly instructive (34:06).
• Quote: “Not because you’re similar to me, but because you’re different from me.” (34:07)

10. Club Logistics & The Infamous "Check Spot"

[34:52 – 36:56]

• The “check spot” (when the bill arrives at clubs) is compared to “handing out multiplication tables” mid-show—utterly disruptive.
  • “You’re handing out multiplication tables...Of course it fucking does [hurt the show].” (36:44 – 36:51)
• Todd urges club owners to stop the practice for the sake of the art.

11. Surviving and Thriving: Todd’s Health Scare

[37:14 – 41:51]

• Todd recounts having a heart attack during a set at Largo, LA, with friends Sarah Silverman and Jeff Ross on hand.
• “My main artery was 98% clogged.” (39:55)
• Quitting smoking as a life-changer, plus new focus on health: “I juice five days a week...I just said, Moses, all I need you to do is stretch me. And it has changed my life.” (40:47 – 41:27)

12. Comedy Tour Stories & Nostalgia

[41:51 – 43:35]

• Reflection on touring with Mike, John Mulaney, and others—joy of the road, inside-jokes on the bus.
• “You included me...which really melted my heart when I got out of that hotel and saw that tour bus.” (42:17)

13. Sensory Nostalgia & Song That Makes You Cry

[47:02 – 49:17]

• Todd shares a vivid memory of the smell of chlorine, cigarettes, and air conditioning: “Now when I smell it, it’s like, oh, intoxicating...it makes me think of my family growing up.” (47:46)
• Song that makes him cry: Engelbert Humperdinck’s “The Power of Love,” now tied to memories of his late mother and a close friend. (49:14)

14. “Working It Out” – Raw Joke Workshop

[49:23 – 54:50]

a) The "Young Uncle" Bit

• Todd experiments with “updating” his uncle’s name for relatability:
  • “His name is so old I have to young myself down...So once I set that up, throughout my set, I mention my uncle Trent, DJ...” (50:02)
• Mike and Todd riff on naming comedy and cyclical fashions in names.

b) “Cheesecake Factory Cruise” Bit

• Outlandish fake amenities for a gluttonous cruise:
  • “Take a helicopter ride on a helicopter made of chicken wings...”
  • “Ferris wheel filled with ice cream sandwiches...” (53:12)
• Mike builds out the “portion size” joke, to Todd’s delight.

c) “Scrolling Uber Driver” & Social Awkwardness

• Mike: “Sometimes what people are doing wrong is so egregious, you don’t even want to bring it up because it’s too embarrassing...”
• Todd’s massage anecdote: masseuse texting during the session.

d) “Happy Ending” Language Divide Bit

• Mike: “Can you imagine if I walked on stage tonight...there’s a 2% chance at the end of the set, he hops in the crowd and jerks everybody off.” (57:25)
• Ties into the larger idea: “Language divides us.”
• Todd workshopped a punchline for cleaning towels with “sad” implications.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “People that inspire you, you end up inspiring them back.” – Todd Glass [05:11]
• “Authenticity benefits all.” – Todd Glass [17:49]
• “Be careful your jokes don’t feed idiots.” – Garry Shandling via Todd [18:05]
• “If you don’t think it really hurts the show...then why would you hand out multiplication tables?” – Todd Glass [36:44]
• “You’re an unbelievable inspiration. I have so much gratitude for everything you’ve done—on stage and also personally.” – Mike Birbiglia [60:36]

Memorable Moments

• Todd revealing the deep impact of the closet on both his material and his self-expression—moving, honest, and often hilarious due to the details (flowers, setting tables).
• Dissecting the peanut allergy premise, both for observational comedy and as a metaphor for generational misunderstandings.
• Their joy in creating wild, improv-fueled bits—Cheesecake Factory cruise, portion-size runner, etc.
• Vulnerable discussion about health, stretching, and gratitude for comedy's gifts.

Timestamps of Important Segments

• No rules in comedy: 00:00 – 05:36
• Crafting the Second City show experience: 06:03 – 09:56
• On closeted stage-life and coming out: 13:01 – 15:43
• Comedy as commerce, learning from working at clubs: 30:52 – 34:33
• The check spot and club logistics: 34:52 – 36:56
• Heart attack & health overhaul: 37:14 – 41:51
• Joke workshop: uncle names, cruise, uncomfortable stories: 49:23 – 57:47

Cause Supported

• Todd supports a Los Angeles animal shelter (link and name to be provided; [59:49])
• Mike: “We will link to them in the show notes. I will contribute to them.” [59:58]

Summary Statement

This episode is a masterclass in comedy’s evolution and the importance of authenticity—blending raw honesty, vulnerability, and irrepressible silliness. Todd Glass opens up about life, career, health, and craft, with Mike Birbiglia proving the perfect conversational partner. For comedians (seasoned or aspiring) and comedy fans alike, this episode is packed with laughs, realness, and deep wisdom.

For more: Visit toddglass.com for upcoming show info, and for full episode video, check out Mike Birbiglia’s YouTube channel.