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Messed-Up To Set-Ups - A MichaelHalcomb.Live Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny
Reflections on Comedy, Stand-Up or Otherwise, from Michael Halcomb. Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny. www.michaelhalcomb.live
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- 1 weeks ago31 min
How to Turn a Good Premise Into a Better Joke
Hello, Friend! In Episode 149 of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m back in the lab with comedian Casey Peruski. In Part 2 of our chat, we do a live joke-workshopping session. Casey brings in premises about his daughter’s punishment for perfect attendance, his son being asked to provide proof that he was sick, the unexpected costs of high school basketball, and the impossible challenge of disciplining a millionaire college athlete. We look for stronger angles, sharper tags, surprising comparisons, and helpful callbacks. We cover the messy process of writing jokes, bombing, staying true to an idea, and learning why even great comedians have to test material that doesn’t work yet. So, join us for a funny and honest behind-the-scenes look at how comedians find momentum one premise at a time. Of course, none of this means being funny doesn’t matter. The professionalism might help get me through the door, but I still need jokes that work once I get onstage. If that’s the part of the equation you’re working on right now, download my FREE 17-page Joke Blueprint Playbook. It walks through joke-writing process I use to turn ideas into setups and punchlines, and you can grab your copy for free below. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 1 weeks ago27 min
What Comedians Need To Get Booked Besides Being Funny
Hello, Friend! In Episode 148 of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m in the lab with Florida-based comedian, producer, and Dry Bar Comedy performer Casey Peruski. Casey talks about how he went from a first terrifying open mic to producing comedy shows at the Sunrise Theatre for fifteen years, working with major comedians, and building a comedy career while raising a family. We talk about the lessons he’s learned as a comedian and booker, including what producers look for, and why being funny is only part of getting booked. We also get into how professionalism and self-promotion can create momentum, and why comedians who complain, overstay their time, or fail to support themselves may be making their own careers harder. Casey also shares some hilarious and humbling stories about bombing, getting nervous enough to throw up before a show, as well as learning to work clean as a Christian comedian. We also discuss consistency, creating a great experience for audiences, the changing comedy business, and how the internet has opened new doors for comedians willing to build their own platform. It’s an honest, funny, and practical conversation about staying in the game long enough to grow. Tune in!Of course, none of this means being funny doesn’t matter. The professionalism might help get me through the door, but I still need jokes that work once I get onstage. If that’s the part of the equation you’re working on right now, download my FREE 17-page Joke Blueprint Playbook. It walks through joke-writing process I use to turn ideas into setups and punchlines, and you can grab your copy for free below. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago25 min
Is Being Messed-Up Our Advantage Over A.I.?
Hello, Friend! In Episode 146 of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m back in the lab with comedian and humor researcher Von Sprecken. We dive back into the psychology of comedy, mental health, confidence, failure, and what it really takes to survive and succeed onstage. We also talk about the dark side of comedy, the strange role of delusion in creative work, how pre-show nerves can become a superpower, why every comedian needs reliable pivots and saves, and how cognitive reframing can help us handle setbacks without spiraling after a performance. Plus, we explore why humor lives somewhere between sense and nonsense and why even AI struggles to understand what makes something truly funny. It’s one of my most thought-provoking conversations on Messed-Up to Set-Ups yet. Tune in!Wanna get better at finding the messed-up stuff hiding inside your own premises? Check out The Joke Writer’s Lab, my online course built to help comedians generate, develop, and strengthen their material. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago33 min
The Hidden Psychology of Jokes
Why does a joke actually work? That’s a much more complicated question than it initially appears. I recently sat down with comedian and humor researcher Von Sprecken, and what began as a conversation about stand-up quickly became an exploration of psychology, memory, emotion, trauma, cognitive reframing, and what happens when an audience encounters a punchline. It’s exactly the kind of conversation I love because it moves beyond simply asking whether something is funny and starts asking what’s happening underneath the laugh. If you’re interested in comedy, psychology, creativity, or how people process ideas and emotions, there’s a lot to think about in this one. Tune in!Wanna get better at finding what’s hiding inside your own premises? Check out The Joke Writer’s Lab, my online course built to help comedians generate, develop, and strengthen their material. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago51 min
Unshakable Commitment
Hello, Friend! In this episode of The Wide Net Podcast, we talk about superpowers that would actually be terrible in real life, laugh through some of the wildest Key and Peele-style college football names you’ve ever heard, and dig into the real difference between watching church online and actually being in church. We also share honest stories about family life, teaching, distraction, and the kind of everyday moments that remind us how much we all need grace. Then we close with a powerful devotion from Genesis 9 that reframes the rainbow as God’s bow, a sign of mercy, covenant, and unshakable commitment when human hearts are still broken. If you want clean humor, brotherhood, practical insight, and a gospel-centered conversation that leaves you encouraged, challenged, and thinking deeper, this episode of The Wide Net Podcast is for you. Tune in! Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago34 min
How Far Can You Push a Joke?
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m back with Brad Brauser for a live joke-writing session that gets deep into therapy bits, self-trolling, and the weird little voice in your head that can turn a rough day into a laugh. We also dig into a hilariously overinflated Arby’s bit that keeps spiraling into catering chaos, billboard-sized disappointment, false hope, and one of the funniest fast-food takedowns you’ll hear today. If you love comedy that’s honest, smart, clean, and built around real-life frustration, this conversation is packed with punchlines, callbacks, and practical joke writing and editing advice. Tune in!Wanna get better at finding what’s hiding inside your own premises? Check out The Joke Writer’s Lab, my online course built to help comedians generate, develop, and strengthen their material. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- Aug 21, 202632 min
Tips For Producing Shows In A Small Market
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m get to hang out with comedian Brad Brauser. This is a super fun, honest, and practical conversation about comedy, joke writing, and the little messes that turn into real laughs. We talk about how Brad got started, why he keeps a daily writing habit, how self-deprecating humor can become a powerful tool, and what it’s like building momentum as both a performer and producer in a smaller market. If you love clean comedy, smart banter, and behind-the-scenes insight into how jokes actually get built, this one’s packed with stories, ideas, and tons of laughs from start to finish. Tune in!If you’re trying to grow as a comedian, I write about what I’m learning along the way. Subscribe to my FREE newsletter for practical ideas on writing, performing, producing, and building momentum. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- Aug 18, 202626 min
Emotional Hangovers After A Bad Set
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m joined again by Shannon Sullivan, and we get into some of the most practical and eye-opening conversations I’ve had lately about comedy, mindset, and momentum. Shannon brings her perspective as a nurse and holistic nurse coach to a discussion about why comedians think the way they do, how to handle the emotional hangover after a bad set, and why so much of growth comes down to learning how to stop making every moment mean something bigger than it is. We also talk about noise, boundaries, resilience, and the hidden psychological battles that happen before, during, and after comedian’s step on stage, all in a way that I think will really speak to anyone trying to grow in comedy in particular or life in general. Tune in!AND…if this kind of conversation helps, subscribe to Messed-Up to Set-Ups by clicking the button below. Twice a week, I’m talking with comedians and other interesting people about what it takes to get better at this weird thing we call stand-up. We’re not just workshopping the comedy; we’re workshopping the comedian. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
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