Podcast Summary: The Gist
Episode: Alex Edelman: "The Hardest Thing to Talk About in a Joke is Israel."
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca
Guest: Alex Edelman
Overview
In this episode, Mike Pesca sits down with acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor Alex Edelman. The conversation explores the craft of comedy, joke structure, the unique pressures and pitfalls of performing at New York’s Comedy Cellar, and the enormous difficulty—both personal and artistic—of joking about Israel and the Gaza conflict. Edelman shares insights from developing his celebrated solo show Just For Us, discusses his creative influences, and candidly reflects on how current events impact comedic material and its reception.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Comedy as Constant Experimentation
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Comedy Cellar Experience:
- Edelman emphasizes that even with accolades and experience, audiences don’t always “buy what you’re selling.”
- He values the Comedy Cellar as a rare environment that encourages comedians to take risks and work out new material—even if sets flop.
- Notable Quote:
"Comedy is all about trial and error... you fucking go up on Monday and you try your first new joke and does, you know, 70% of what you thought it might get? And you're like, well, here's in 100. And so, like, it's tough." (08:04, Edelman)
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Effect of Audience & Performance Context:
- A comedian’s mood and the “liquid dynamics of an audience” influence performances.
- Edelman shared an example of doing a set at the Comedy Cellar right after watching a somber Holocaust documentary, acknowledging the challenge of carrying that emotional weight on stage.
- Quote:
"Is the audience going to sense my foulness? Am I going to be a little more defensive with the audience?" (11:26, Edelman)
2. Structure and Craft of Jokes
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Joke Placement:
- Edelman moves jokes around within his set to discover what works best, noting new material often emerges in the segues.
- He advocates for reviewing and organizing jokes on index cards to find new thematic or narrative connections.
- Quote:
"Looking at all your jokes on index cards and seeing what they all sort of have in common can sort of give your aesthetic a bit more of a, like, form." (15:05, Edelman)
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Aesthetic and Thematic Consistency:
- His comedic voice is rooted in anecdote, social observation, and "self-portraiture through recounting”—using personal stories to reflect broader truths (15:53, Edelman).
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The Impact of Mentorship:
- Discusses Mike Birbiglia’s outsized influence and approach to developing acts, including writing jokes on cards and “invisible pillars” of story structure.
- Quote:
"There are invisible pillars that you put early on in the show. So different jokes in the show work better later." (31:38, Edelman, referencing Birbiglia)
3. Comedy’s Relationship to Tragedy and Taboo
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Navigating Difficult Material:
- Edelman discusses the special challenges of joking about death, referencing personal loss and its influence on his material (death of a close friend and collaborator, Adam Brace).
- The conversation points to the evolving relationship comedians have with controversial or sensitive subjects as public sentiment and personal experience shift.
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The “Hardest Thing to Talk About”: Israel and Gaza
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Both Pesca and Edelman agree the current Gaza/Israel conflict is "the hardest topic" for comedians, much more so than even 9/11 was.
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Key Insights:
- There’s little comedy to be found “in being right.”
- Making jokes on either “side” can feel immoral, yet ignoring the subject feels dishonest.
- Modern audiences are fractured on these issues, making it hard to gauge reception in the room.
- Edelman feels the only comedic in-road is “in not being sure”—the paradox, the ambiguity, and grappling with the complexity.
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Notable Quote:
"There's not a lot of comedy in being right... To be wrong feels immoral, even if you’re pro Israel... it feels immoral to be making jokes in the face of it, an ongoing conflict that ranges in opinion from humanitarian crisis to outright genocide." (42:49, Edelman)
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On Joking About Complicated Subjects:
- Edelman is working on new material ("work in progress") dealing with activists whose identities and alliances are paradoxical—and how that inversion itself is where honest comedy arises.
- Quote:
“There is comedy in that paradox…something that most people would recognize but isn’t acknowledged is great.” (45:54, Edelman)
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4. Artistic Responsibility and Longevity of Material
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Evergreen Shows vs. Topicality:
- They debate whether shows like Just For Us, written before October 7th, 2023, will stand the test of time or become time capsules.
- Edelman references John Updike’s notion of work being "conversant with the moment, not beholden to it."
- Quote:
“A show and a joke should be conversant with the moment that it’s in and not beholden to it.” (48:54, Edelman)
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Ethical Tightrope and Evolving Opinion:
- Edelman admits the process of writing ethically about Israel/Palestine is “much harder now”—but sees value in “walking the tightrope,” trusting that thoughtful, nuanced comedy both resonates and challenges.
- He notes his opinions shift with new information, wanting material that can still ring true years down the line.
5. Craft, Influence, and Comedy Institutions
- Influences:
- Birbiglia, Maria Bamford, Brian Regan, Moms Mabley, and (complicatedly) Bill Cosby for storytelling, despite Cosby’s subsequent disgrace.
- Comedy’s Changing Landscape:
- The Comedy Cellar’s enduring value, contrast with shuttered institutions like Carolines.
- Edelman sees the Cellar’s embrace of craft, progress, and “doing something with your time on stage” as pivotal for relevant, vital comedy.
Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps
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On Comedy’s Trial and Error
"Comedy is all about trial and error... you're all amped, and you fucking go up on Monday and you try your first new joke and it does, you know, 70% of what you thought it might get? And you're like, well, here's in 100." – Alex Edelman (08:04)
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On Organizing and Understanding Material
"Looking at all your jokes on index cards and seeing what they all sort of have in common can sort of give your aesthetic a bit more of a, like, form." – Alex Edelman (15:05)
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On the Challenge of Joking about Israel/Gaza
“There’s not a lot of comedy in being right… To be wrong feels immoral… it feels immoral to be making jokes in the face of it, an ongoing conflict…” – Alex Edelman (42:49)
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On Comedy’s Power in Paradox
“There is comedy in that paradox…something that most people would recognize but isn’t acknowledged is great.” – Alex Edelman (45:54)
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On the Longevity of Comedy
“A show and a joke should be conversant with the moment that it’s in and not beholden to it.” – Alex Edelman (48:54)
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On the Risk and Reward of Standup
"No risk it, no biscuit. So, like, you gotta go out there and, like, bomb on a Tuesday or bomb on a Wednesday... Because, by the way, if a joke works in that room, then that joke is working anywhere else." – Alex Edelman (54:04)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Comedy Cellar & Working Out Material: 08:04–12:32
- Joke Structure, Segues, and Index Cards: 12:32–16:37
- Influence of Mike Birbiglia & Creative Community: 22:54–25:54
- Navigating Taboo Subjects, Israel/Gaza: 41:31–47:36
- Art, Topicality, and the Passage of Time: 47:36–50:43
- Ethics, Craft, and Taking Risks: 53:13–56:31
Concluding Thoughts
Mike Pesca and Alex Edelman’s conversation is a masterclass in how standup comedy is both deeply personal and, at its highest level, an intellectual and ethical negotiation with the culture. By probing the edge of what is sayable—especially around Israel, Gaza, and Jewish identity—Edelman models the comedian’s responsibility to his audience, to contemporary events, and to himself. The episode is packed with insights on joke structure, the importance of context, the peril and necessity of risk, and the ongoing quest to make meaning (and laughter) out of chaos.