Podcast Summary: The Gist – “Funny You Should Mention: Raanan Hershberg”

Host: Mike Pesca (Peach Fish Productions)
Guest: Raanan Hershberg
Date: April 3, 2026
Episode Theme: Challenging Comedy, Antisemitism, and Naming the Moment

Overview

In this “Funny You Should Mention Friday” episode, Mike Pesca interviews acclaimed comedian Raanan Hershberg, whose new special "Morbidly Jewish" explores identity, humor, and the current climate surrounding antisemitism and political comedy. Their wide-ranging discussion covers the complexities of naming comedy specials, the responsibilities and risks for comics in polarized times, their evolving approaches to social and political issues (especially Trump and Israel), and how to balance intellect and relatability in comedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. On Naming Comedy Specials

Timestamps: 04:16–12:27

• Challenge of Naming: Hershberg describes titling a stand-up special as “arbitrary” and difficult, as opposed to solo shows where thematic titles come more naturally.
  • “Titles are really hard because you don't want to be pretentious and you don't want to be, like, funny.” – Hershberg (08:34)
• Story behind “Brave”: Used ironically, since “brave” is often used to describe unfunny comedians.
• “Morbidly Jewish”: The current special’s title arose organically from a viral bit and captures Hershberg’s essence and the throughline of Judaism in his life and set.
• Pesca and Hershberg note that basic, straightforward titles often work best (e.g., Bill Burr’s one-word titles) and mock the pretensions of over-complicated ones.

2. Judaism, Antisemitism & Identity

Timestamps: 12:27–18:37

• Rising Antisemitism: Hershberg juxtaposes his “boring” childhood synagogue experiences with current fears, noting the shift in safety for American Jews.
  • “Now, I'm too afraid to go…it's like an action movie. It used to be so boring, and now you're just looking around like, ‘Boring Ultimatum.’” – Hershberg (13:05)
• Secular vs Religious: He’s proud to be Jewish but finds religious practice “boring,” despite deep respect for the tradition and humor in the Bible.
  • “I have a lot of respect for Judaism…I really just, it's boring. In theory, I'd like to.” (15:25)
• Bible Humor: Finds “human frailty” and laughable moments in Torah stories, contrasting Old and New Testaments for relatability.

3. Comedy Roots & the Art of the Joke

Timestamps: 23:00–33:46

• Influences: Began learning joke structure from Woody Allen’s written humor and the power of misdirection (e.g., Rodney Dangerfield).
• Joke Craft: Discusses how much setup is needed to bring the audience along, especially with Jewish material approached for a general audience.
• Comedy as Revealing Absurdity:
  • “The best comedy is when you make people see that something they think is normal is absurd.” – Hershberg (32:52)
• Current Challenge: With Trump-era politics being overtly absurd, it’s harder for comics to find fresh angles.
  • “When we're all so aware of the absurdity, what is a comedian's job?” (33:46)

4. Navigating Political Comedy & Trump

Timestamps: 34:11–39:58

• Pitfalls for Comics: Pesca and Hershberg critique hacky Trump jokes and late-night “zombie” laughter, emphasizing the need not to “normalize absurdity.”
  • “A lot of bad comedy now...is normalizing the absurdity.” – Hershberg (33:03)
• Contrarian Appeal: Some comics (e.g., Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis) veer pro-Trump or play devil’s advocate as a reaction to pervasive liberal critiques.
• Making Meaningful Jokes: Hershberg’s Trump/Israel bit revolves around the absurd claim that Trump “cares about Israel,” not jokes just recounting Trump’s ridiculous behavior.

5. Comedy, Responsibility, and Influence

Timestamps: 41:34–52:07

• On Platforming: Hershberg voices a clear boundary—he struggles to forgive influential figures (e.g., Rogan, Schultz, Theo Von) who used their reach to promote Trump.
  • “If you used your influence to help get him elected, that I really find hard to forgive…that is where I put all my hate.” – Hershberg (41:42)
• Going on Rogan: Hershberg debated whether to go on Joe Rogan’s show, balancing exposure with his unease about Rogan’s spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation.
• Backlash: After his Rogan appearance, Hershberg faced significant antisemitic abuse online for candidly confronting conspiracy thinking.

6. Conspiracy Theories and Morality

Timestamps: 45:25–50:54

• Hershberg is firmly anti-conspiracy theory, viewing them as ultimately dangerous and antisemitic.
• The moral responsibility of belief: They debate whether those who stormed the Capitol on January 6th are excused by genuinely believing the election was stolen.
  • Hershberg: “Once the conspiracy theory says…they've planted all this evidence to counteract it, now you're a conspiracy theorist.”
  • Pesca: “Every belief you have has to be unfalsifiable.”

7. Evolving Comic Voice: From Both Sides to Being Explicit

Timestamps: 52:07–56:02

• Past Approach: Hershberg tried to please both ideological sides, focusing on non-divisive laughs.
• Present Approach: “I'm going to actually say exactly how I feel in an obnoxious way and be okay with being alienating…People who believe in conspiracy theories are fucking [R-word].”
• He acknowledges the artistic risk: “I just wanted to do an hour that was going to alienate people and be ideological, but still be funny.”

8. Gun Control, Shared Values, and Non-Ideological Jokes

Timestamps: 54:16–56:02

• Shared Value Jokes: Some jokes require a shared political perspective; others (like Carlin’s) transcend ideology.
  • Hershberg’s gun control/sharks joke appeals to both sides: “Conservatives…loved [my zombie apocalypse joke], even though I am subtly making fun of them.”
• Values both types: “Best jokes go beyond ideology…there's also the shared value jokes, which I love.”

9. Comedy and the Israel/Palestine Conflict

Timestamps: 56:02–63:49

• October 7th & Antisemitism: Hershberg is among the few comics to candidly address contemporary Israel and antisemitism on stage.
  • “I have very conflicted feelings about all of it, which I think is the right way to be…when you're talking about Israel, your criticism should be for the government, not for the citizens.” (57:21)
• Porn Star Angle: To make his nuanced perspective palatable, Hershberg frames Israel jokes around watching porn, specifically referencing Mia Khalifa’s comments after October 7th.
  • “I wanted to make fun of people who are ideologically reductive on both sides…but through dick jokes.” (63:00)
• On Conflating Judaism and Zionism: “Right wing Zionists…and anti Zionists are the ones who most want you to conflate Judaism with Israel.” (58:38)
• Online Antisemitism: Notes how sloppily anti-Zionists often betray “hidden” (or not so hidden) antisemitism via language.

10. Style, Voice, and Comic Identity

Timestamps: 63:49–68:52

• Arty Lang Comparisons: Hershberg is compared to Arty Lang for voice and gruffness, but he notes similarities are mostly superficial (accent, delivery).
• Balancing Intelligence and Accessibility: Hershberg intentionally “dumbs down” complex concepts for broader audiences, a skill honed performing in Kentucky.
  • “You can't act like you're too smart, you know?...It's like a rule in comedy: you can’t act like you’re smarter than the audience.” (67:20)
• Self-Perception: Admits to being “smart in some ways and very dumb in other ways,” humorously recounting reading Proust and Ulysses while also pouring coffee on his own crotch twice in a week.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Comedy Risk:
  “That actually makes things funnier when you have a little bit of a frisson of danger.” – Pesca (03:02)
• On Absurdity in Comedy:
  “The best comedy is when you make people see that something they think is normal is absurd.” – Hershberg (32:52)
• On Ideological Honesty:
  “I'm gonna actually say how I feel…It was gonna start with this idea that, well, I was polite about conspiracy theories being bullshit. And people were so angry that I'm liberated now.” – Hershberg (53:13)
• On Backlash and Antisemitism Online:
  “That was my first opening into every fourth comment with antisemitic, which I'm like…that makes sense. He's a conspiracy theorist.” (52:07)
• On Conflation of Zionism and Judaism:
  “To me it's like conflating the two is where you get [antisemitism]…A lot of anti-Semites are like, here's my chance…I can get my antisemitism out.” (59:25, 60:09)
• On Artistic Integrity vs Exposure:
  “Even though Rogan, I…I'm against his values, it was a bit of a town hall…Just go on and say how you feel.” – Hershberg (50:54)
• On Comic Influences and Stealing:
  “The key is, you steal from enough people, it's hard to tell who you're stealing from…Just a little bit of yourself, too.” (65:41)
• On Self-Contradiction:
  “I've read Ulysses three times, and I also remember, one week, pouring coffee on my balls accidentally twice. It's like I really am smart in some ways and very dumb in other ways.” (68:34)

Notable Sections & Timestamps

• On ‘Morbidly Jewish’ and Title Challenges: 04:16–12:27
• Synagogue Safety and Antisemitism: 12:27–14:13
• Bible Humor and Jewish Identity: 15:36–18:37
• Comedy Craft, Misdirection, and Woody Allen: 23:00–24:15, 32:33
• Absurdity vs. Normalization in Comedy: 32:52–34:54
• Unique Trump Jokes & Political Risks: 34:11–39:58
• Rogan, Platforming, and Backlash: 41:34–52:07
• Ideological Shift in Hershberg’s Comedy: 52:07–54:16
• Jokes Transcending Ideology & Shared Values: 54:16–56:02
• Handling Israel/Palestine in Comedy: 56:02–63:49
• Balancing Smart and Relatable Performance: 63:49–68:52

Final Thoughts

This episode is an incisive, candid look at what it means to be a comedian in contentious times. Hershberg and Pesca navigate the hazards of contemporary humor—how to name work, handle backlash, confront antisemitism, and find the comic angle in difficult truths. Hershberg’s approach—sometimes raw, often philosophical, always attuned to both his audience and his own values—makes “Morbidly Jewish” and this conversation stand out in the current comedy landscape.