August 14, 2015

Too Soon?

When is too soon for that celebrity comeback; that joke that is either brilliant or full-on repugnant; that parent-child conversation? This week: stories about a fallen man trying to kickstart his career with a reality show, and an awkward moment between a mom and a daughter.

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Transcript

A scene from an instructional video called "Pink Slip."

Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.

Prologue

When Jordan was going into his senior year of high school in small town Utah, he and his buddies all lived together in a house, daring each other into Jackass-style pranks and stunts. There's one particular thing Jordan did that he did not want to talk to Ira about. (10 minutes)

Act One

But Wait, There's More!

Harmon Leon is a writer and comedian whose cocktail party story about “the-weirdest-gig-I-ever-did” is more weird—by a lot—than anyone else’s we’ve heard. He answered an ad several years ago that called for a hilarious sidekick to a celebrity on a hidden camera show. (30 minutes)

Harmon runs the storytelling series Tale. More on O.J. Simpson's short-lived prank show.

By

Nancy Updike

Song:

“Take Time” by The Paranormal

Act Two

Pink Slip

One of the show's producers, Zoe Chace, tells Ira about a joke she made pretty soon after something terrible had happened.

And then Ira talks to Amy Silverman about something else being too soon, and how she finally figured out the right moment for it. Amy's blog about her daughter is at girlinapartyhat.com. (15 minutes)

By

Zoe Chace

Song:

“Too Soon to Tell” by Todd Snider

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