Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

Back to The Business

The Business

The Rigors and Reality of the Stand-Up Comedy Business

Maria Bamford, Al Madrigal and Paul F. Tompkins on the hard-knocks life of a professional comedian…

    Download MP3
    • Share
    By Kim Masters • Mar 21, 2011 • 28m Listen

    This week, the hard-knocks life of a professional comedian. We sit down with Maria Bamford, Al Madrigal and Paul F. Tompkins. They talk about the idiosyncrasies of the comedian's psyche, using social networking to generate an audience, and vying to get that great TV gig.

    Today's Banter Topics:

    Netflix deal to make an original 'TV' show with Kevin Spacey and David Fincher

    Groupon's offer for half-price tickets to the movie Lincoln Lawyer

    MGM's efforts to please the Chinese government by changing the bad guys in Red Scare to North Koreans

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    Banner image: (L to R) Al Madrigal, Maria Bamford and Paul F. Tompkins

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Kim Masters

      partner/writer at Puck News, host of KCRW's “The Business.”

    • KCRW placeholder

      Darby Maloney

      Producer

      CultureEntertainmentArts
    Back to The Business