We Might Be Drunk – Ep 270: Kathleen Madigan (Feb 9, 2026)

Host: Sam Morril & Mark Normand
Guest: Kathleen Madigan

Episode Overview

In this lively, joke-packed episode, veteran comedian Kathleen Madigan joins Sam Morril and Mark Normand for a hilarious, freewheeling conversation. The trio sips whiskey, swaps comics' war stories, critiques modern vices (from vaping to bad Netflix dramas), and dives deep into stand-up’s ever-evolving landscape. Madigan brings her trademark Midwest authenticity, sharp observations, and tales from decades in the business, making this a standout for comedy fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Traditions and Booze: Setting the Mood

• Kathleen ups the ante by bringing two special Jack Daniel's bottles from Nashville.
• The group reminisces about guests who’ve added their signature drinks and the joys of drinking “neat or with cubeage.”
• 06: Kathleen Madigan: “You bought us both a bottle... we’ll keep them in studio. We’ll drink them, take them home.”
• Drinking quickly segues into comic wisdom:
  • A DUI, they joke, is a “good” scandal for comics compared to darker offenses.
    • [03:15] Co-host: “A DUI is a good thing for a comic to get and go public with... You didn’t diddle a kid. It’s a good problem for your publicity.”
  • Safety tech in high-end cars like McLarens gets discussed, with Madigan’s deadpan:
    • [02:25] Kathleen Madigan: “They have this special technology for if it flips... Well, that doesn’t look good. Maybe I’m an idiot….”

2. Sports Fandom, Identity, and the Business of Teams

• Madigan’s complicated sports allegiances (Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, Rams) are rooted in Midwest upbringing and local rivalries.
  • [05:00] Sammorrell: “I’m a Chiefs person by proxy…if they go to Kansas, I’m out. I was raised to hate Kansas.”
• Critiques of public spending on stadiums versus social issues:
  • [06:25] Kathleen Madigan: “All the money—just put it in the stadium. Buffalo just built that new one and you’ve got a bad homeless problem. Nah, we’ll work on the stadium.”
• Owner eccentricities, like Amy Adams Strunk (Titans), come under fire—seen as an obstacle to attracting coaching talent.

3. Comedy World: Generations, Vice, and the Road

• Changing Culture: Madigan, in classic form, laments the rise of “queefy, sober” comics but celebrates being among “the last cool comedians.”
  • [19:03] Co-host: “You’re one of the last cool comedians. Comics are all getting queefy and sober. They don’t have any fun. You’re still living, damn it.”
• Rise and decline of vices:
  • Cigarettes vs. vaping: nostalgia and suspicion of new trends.
    • [21:01] Sammorrell: “I think you should smoke cigarettes over vaping... you’re basically inhaling a hot coil with shit in it from China.”
  • Memories of smoking in clubs and its effect on the standup atmosphere.
    • [25:05] Kathleen Madigan: “St. Louis Funny Bone—we could still smoke in that cloud of smoke.”
  • Cocaine in comedy’s “golden era”—Madigan credits her aversion to seeing lives destroyed.
    • [28:19] Sammorrell: “I didn’t do it...I would get addicted too fast. I watched people that were 10 years older than me get addicted to coke. I called it the devil’s drug.”

4. Showbiz Stories and Gender in Comedy

• Trailblazing, but Practical: Madigan recaps her journey through national comedy competitions, Bob Hope specials, and being a go-to for “Women of the Night.”
  • Showbiz inequities—particularly in sitcom and late-night hosting:
    • [37:26] Sammorrell: “Every dude that was a headliner was nothing but nice. The only disadvantage...was sitcoms. If you look at who was getting them, it was Romano, Kevin James, Seinfeld...”
  • Never tempted by sitcom stardom, Madigan describes the grind of set life as patience-testing and boring.

5. Old-School Comedy: Standup, Specials, and Artistic Pressure

• The Comedy Special Arms Race:
  • The new expectation to “turn over hours” yearly feels excessive to Madigan, who advocates a standard of three years per hour special:
    • [72:25] Sammorrell: “I think it takes three years to do it correctly, in my opinion.”
  • Cautions that Netflix and other platforms are pushing comics to put out second-rate specials:
    • [73:16] Sammorrell: “That’s why we know, when you click someone we all like—you’re like, ‘that was half-assed’...he was under some weird pressure.”
• Material Ownership and Audience Overlap:
  • Comedians feel pressured by fans who demand all-original material every show, despite not understanding the nature of road-tested closers and the need to crush.
    • [63:43] Kathleen Madigan (on critical fan): “I did like 50 new minutes before that [closer]...I don’t know what the fuck you want me to do.”
  • The overlap (or lack thereof) between podcast audiences and stand-up fans—many don’t know their favorite comics even run podcasts.

6. Touring, Life in Nashville, and Comics’ Community

• Madigan revels in her Nashville lifestyle: a purpose-built lake house, proximity to golf and fishing buddies, and the creative freedom.
  • [69:59] Sammorrell: “I built a house on that lake...eight minutes from the airport, fifteen minutes from downtown, five minutes from Dorf… It’s the most well-built house.”
• Community in comedy: From the influence of club owners and fellow comics on where to live, to the irreplaceable camaraderie among “doers” like Dorf (club owner at Zanies), and the mutual support among comics.

7. Life Reflections: Family, Children, and Comedy’s Demand

• Madigan discusses her conscious choice not to have kids, having helped raise siblings and preferring freedom and travel over the “repetition” required of parenting.
• The grind of modern comedy’s multiple roles: touring, managing podcasts, marketing, and more.
  • [75:35] Sammorrell: “Now, there’s other shit. You’re a dad, there’s career stuff. You need a social media manager...Another job with it.”

8. TV, Movies, and Pop Culture Tangents

• Amusing riffs on Netflix’s “Heated Rivalry” (“the gay hockey show”), the pitfalls of “bait and switch” sports/porn storylines, and HBO’s “Euphoria.”
• Down-the-rabbit-hole reminiscing: Melanie Griffith’s family legacy, animal tales featuring Tippi Hedren, brushes with legendary comics and figures.
  • Fun side note about collecting “Marlboro miles” for nun float-trips in Missouri.
    • [23:05] Sammorrell: “That’s how many I got. The kayak was 50,000 miles. And I did it. And they took a float trip in Missouri. That is hilarious.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Comedy as Vice

  • [19:03] Co-host: “You’re one of the last cool comedians. Comics are all getting queefy and sober. They don’t have any fun. You’re still living, damn it.”

• On Modern Vaping

  • [21:01] Sammorrell: “I think you should smoke cigarettes over vaping. Interesting. Because vaping... you’re basically inhaling a hot coil with shit in it from China you bought at a gas station.”

• On Pressure to Create New Material

  • [63:43] Kathleen Madigan: “I did like 50 new minutes before that [closer]...I don’t know what the fuck you want me to do.”

• On Gender in Comedy Specials

  • [38:06] Sammorrell: “The only disadvantage statistically is when it came to sitcoms. Ray Romano, Kevin James, Seinfeld ... if you were black, they put you on UPN or whatever. If you were a woman, forget it.”

• On Stand-Up as a Calling

  • [72:25] Sammorrell: “I think it takes three years to do it correctly, in my opinion.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06 — 04:00: Drinking and comic risk-taking; McLaren sports cars.
• 04:00 — 07:30: NFL drama and loyalty; stadiums and civic funding.
• 19:00 — 21:00: Old-school comics versus new sober generation.
• 21:00 — 26:00: Vaping vs. cigarettes nostalgia, legendary Marlboro miles story.
• 28:19 — 30:47: Cocaine in comedy’s past and why Madigan never touched it.
• 33:11 — 36:41: Bob Hope, gig memories, generational changes in comedic opportunities.
• 54:07 — 56:57: Tardiness as comic’s cardinal sin; wild stories about late openers.
• 63:16 — 64:44: The pressure and expectations of cranking out new hours and “burning” material.
• 69:59 — 71:13: Madigan’s Nashville life; housebuilding; community and kinship among comics.
• 75:35 — 76:35: Comedy’s managerial workload and balancing acts.
• 77:03 — 77:59: Comparing careers of Ron White and comics with “grandfathered-in” followings.

Further Highlights

• Music Recommendations:
  • Madigan champions country singer Ella Langley ("Choosing Texas"), loves Morgan Wallen, and appreciates old-school country twang.
• On Touring and Material:
  • Madigan meticulously spaces specials (about every 3 years), cautions comics against overproducing for Netflix money at the expense of quality.
• Pop Culture Tangents:
  • Amusing sidebars on “Heated Rivalry” (the gay hockey Netflix hit), WNBA fantasies, Nazi porn as comedy, and the crossover of TV/film genes.

Takeaways

• Kathleen Madigan’s grounded, deeply lived perspective highlights both how much the comedy industry has changed and what’s timeless—funny people, dedication to craft, and real stories from the road.
• She advocates for quality over streaming-age quantity, camaraderie over careerism, and living a little (with a whiskey or a smoke) in the process.

Perfect for Stand-up fans, road dogs, and anyone nostalgic for untamed comic energy and spitfire wit.