Topic Guide
What Is Comedic writing?
Comedic writing is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Comedic writing
Room reality
A unique comedic dynamic or set of inside jokes shared exclusively within a specific creative environment, such as a writers' room. Conan and Brian describe how their pre-show joke pitching sessions generated material that was hilariously funny to them but would make "no sense" to anyone outside of that specific context [09:14].
Writer riffs
Conan O'Brien's practice of developing highly specific, often exaggerated, and unforgettable running gags or observations about individual writers. Conan explains he remembers these personal "riffs" about his staff, like Brian Kiley's "vermicelli legs," more vividly than other important personal details [06:10, 08:12].
What Experts Say About Comedic writing
- 1.Conan O'Brien and Brian Kiley's comedic partnership dates back to their childhood in Brighton, Massachusetts, where they first met in Catholic instruction class.
- 2.Brian Kiley is a disciplined, clean stand-up comedian, but Conan O'Brien often performs an impression of him, "Kylie at the Apollo," delivering extremely filthy material [05:09].
- 3.Conan develops highly specific and unforgettable "riffs" on his writers, such as his running gag about Brian Kiley's powerful upper body but "vermicelli" legs [06:10].
- 4.Their pre-show routine involved pitching absurd, un-performable jokes that were only funny within their "room reality," making them incomprehensible to outsiders [09:14].
- 5.Brian Kiley contributed significantly to Conan's major career events, including two White House Correspondents Dinners and multiple Emmy shows [03:04, 04:08].
- 6.Brian Kiley had comedic obsessions, including writing numerous jokes about Chris Christie's weight and Taco Bell diarrhea, which occasionally found their way into serious award submissions [16:17, 20:22].
Top Episodes to Learn About Comedic writing
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend