Matt Belknap, producer of the hugely successful podcast Never Not Funny with Jimmy Pardo, has been a fixture in the Los Angeles alternative comedy world for nearly a decade.
Belknap spoke with Suite 101's Christine E. Taylor about his stand-up past, choosing the comedians who appear on NNF, and his fantasy guest.
Matt Belknap and L.A. Alternative Comedy
Belknap started Aspecialthing.com, a community-oriented website for comedians and self-described “comedy nerds” in 2001. The site is still thriving as a message board connecting fans and comics in the West Coast alt comedy world.
Based on the site's success and the connections Belknap made with comedians, he launched both AST Radio (an interview podcast) and AST Records (which produces and releases comedy albums from Jen Kirkman, Paul F. Tompkins, Andrew Daly, Doug Benson, Greg Proops and others).
Although mostly known as a producer and promoter of comedy content, Belknap is also funny in his own right, which he has proven as Jimmy Pardo’s co-host on Never Not Funny.
Belknap Credits Pardo for His Laughs
Belknap is humble about his own value as a comedian, feeling that he gets a pass from listeners’ lower expectations of him. “A B-minus joke from me might seem like more of an A-minus."
Belknap also credits Pardo for creating an environment in which comedy flows easily. “It’s shockingly easy to be funny when you’re in the room with Jimmy Pardo. He creates an environment for humor, and you all you have to do is be able to tune in to his wavelength, and you can ride that.”
Matt Belknap’s Stand-up Comedy Past
However, Belknap is no stranger to making people laugh. “I tried stand-up briefly, but I think I got into it too late in my life. It’s so grueling, and there’s so little reward for it, and you have to be willing to go through years of it not being at all [successful]."
Belknap’s foray into stand-up comedy and his ongoing success with Aspecialthing.com and podcasting are all outlets that provide satisfyingly expeditious feedback for his efforts. “I moved to L.A. to be a screenwriter, and I worked at that for years. There’s a lot of rejection involved in that.
“The path I took was the result of just being sick of that silence. Doing a podcast … you put something out in the world, and you get an immediate response. And, that’s what got me excited.”
NNF Guests: Comedians and Beyond
Listener feedback to Never Not Funny is overwhelmingly positive, as reflected, for example, in its 4-1/2 star rating on iTunes. Its audience grows each season, including an increasing number of paid subscribers. The show employs the occasional planned segment (such as listener contributed Stupid Questions), but it does not rely on structure or shtick. The roughly 90-minute podcast consists of Pardo, Belknap and their guest in unscripted conversation.
As the show enters its seventh season, the team is mindful of getting stale. “We’re bringing more new people in and having guests be the thing that keeps it fresh,” says Belknap. “There are brilliantly funny people who I love and Jimmy loves who probably don’t fit [into the show’s format]. So we have to stay aware of that,” says Belknap. “We look for banterers, and people who like to bust balls sometimes.”
NNF utilizes a roster of regular guests (such as comedians Pat Francis, Scott Aukerman, Jimmy Dore, Paul F. Tompkins, Todd Glass, and Greg Behrendt) who appear each season. However, Belknap and Pardo keep the show dynamic with unexpected guests. In the past few seasons, NNF has brought in former Late Night and Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien; actors Jon Hamm and Rich Sommer from Mad Men; and musician Mark Volman of the 1960s band The Turtles.
Matt Belknap’s NNF Dream Guest
Among the guests Belknap and Pardo would like to book for future shows, one person stands out as a dream-get for Belknap: Tina Fey. “I think of her almost as a writer first, but Tina has a background in performing and improv, and she’s one of the funniest people in the universe. I would love to be able to sit down and talk to her under any circumstance.”
NNF listeners (generally) appreciate the unexpected, but mostly they covet the consistently entertaining stream of banter established by Pardo and Belknap each week. “I’m very aware of how niche alternative comedy can be, but I do really feel like Never Not Funny is just an entertaining show for a lot of different people.” With thousands of subscribers paying for content that is generally available for free, NNF is proving its worth to a loyal and increasing fan base.
Never Not Funny is available for download through their website and through iTunes. The first 20 minutes of each podcast are available for free.
Christine E. Taylor - Christine E. Taylor is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christine is currently writing a series of articles ...
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