Chris Gethard

Chris Gethard is a comedian, author, and host of Beautiful/Anonymous and New Jersey Is The World. His new special Chris Gethard: Half My Life came out June 1st from Comedy Dynamics on Amazon Prime Video and other platforms.

You are a podcasting OG. Did you have a hard time explaining Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People before lots of people were listening to podcasts?
Yes, I pitched it a bunch of times to Earwolf and they were quite hesitant. They were hoping I could be their first East Coast comedy person and maybe organize something improvisational with the New York scene. Something more akin or inspired by Comedy Bang Bang. But I just had a gut instinct this phone call thing would work. Now granted, I saw the show in my head as a much more consistently comedy-based thing, and it transformed into what it is pretty quickly. But there were doubts about it and I knew it had legs.

If you were going to have another podcast, don't worry about the logistics or whether or not anyone would like it, what would it be?
Luckily I just launched one! It’s called New Jersey Is The World. It’s myself and some friends exploring sort of insane stories about growing up in our home state. But underneath all the idiocy and silliness, I think it’s actually a very good cultural exploration of one of the strangest states.

What was the most difficult episode of Beautiful/Anonymous that you made?
We had an episode called Love Is Everywhere. A mom was calling from a hospital waiting area as her daughter was undergoing tests related to her rare form of cancer. It was brutal. It blindsided me. But it quickly became the favorite episode of a large percentage of our fan base. It was raw and vulnerable and in the moment. So many people who heard it were inspired to live more fully, help more people, and be more compassionate. Sadly, the caller’s daughter has since passed away. I’m still in touch with the caller, who raises money in her daughter’s memory via her project Holly’s Miracles. You can find info here.

What do you hope Beautiful/Anonymous does for people?
I hope it fosters more empathy. I hope it allows people to experience others’ stories without them being overproduced or edited or filtered. One of the great compliments I get on the show that hits me right in my heart is people saying “I’ve never heard someone from this background tell their own story in their own words.” I think especially with things that touch on political matters or social change, it’s important to hear actual people. Not just news stories or social media bullet points. Those are easily sensationalized. When you hear a person lay their journey out there, it’s hard to dismiss it or get mad as your first reaction. Humans are humans, you know? So some of the episodes I’m most proud of relate to that. We recently heard from a young black male teacher in Minneapolis the day after Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd. Years ago we spoke with a trans caller and I saw multiple reactions from people who had read about trans rights and the trans community, but said the podcast was the first time they actually heard a trans person describe their life personally. I even spoke to someone in 2016 who was planning on voting for Donald Trump and explained why. I still think if more political strategists had heard that one it could have really affected things. A lot of people are driven by their past, their pain, their confusion. You wind up empathizing greatly when that’s the case.

What is your relationship to your voice and how would you describe it?
I hate it!

What shows do you listen to?
Some in my current rotation are: Criminal, This Is Love, Outside, Murf Meyer Is Self-Medicated, Screw It We’re Just Gonna Talk About Comics, and The Art of Wrestling, which is converting to a show called Wrestling Anonymous. Colt is a dear friend of mine and I love the name of his new project.

Can you describe your fans?
Kind folks who aren’t scared to wear their emotions on their sleeves.

Thanks, Chris!