Jason Zinoman

Banter can be funny and sexy at the same time. “Chicken Shop Date” knows that; David Letterman and Teri Garr knew it, too. If only late-night hosts did.

The New York Comedy Festival Is Huge. These 8 Shows Are a Good Start.

3 Terrific Specials to Distract You From the News

Tom Papa, James Adomian and Emily Catalano take very different, very funny approaches in their new hours.

Why Trump Uses Comics Like Tony Hinchcliffe to Spread His Message

A new film about the show doesn’t mention her. But in many ways her hit sketch series helped define the early vision of Lorne Michaels.

Her gossipy portrait of singlehood as a celebrity is a sunny contrast to the darker view of her Netflix stablemate Hannah Gadsby.

In the most insightful part of “For Your Approval,” she says that she was a poor fit to run a workplace but that women leaders are judged differently.

The owners of a new spot say hiring comics based on referrals from other stand-ups is no guarantee the acts will be funny. Others say it’s all more nuanced.

The star is in fine, filthy form under the direction of Josh Safdie (“Uncut Gems”). Hannah Berner and Langston Kerman also deliver standout hours.

How the comedian has stayed so funny, for so long.

A cult hero in the comedy world, he specializes in desperately ambitious men doomed to fail. But don’t ignore the element of empathy.

On his podcast, Rogan indulges his own obsessions and eccentricities. But in “Burn the Boats,” his Netflix comedy special, contempt for the crowd is a theme.

The Trump campaign sees Harris’s laugh as a vulnerability to exploit. But far from a liability, it is one of her most effective weapons.

The author of humorous short stories finds emotional connections in tales that engage with tech. But he’s more interested in the ties between humans.

He basically invented the stand-up special in 1960 and continued to be a source of comic brilliance until his final years.

The comedian’s YouTube epic, “The Domino Effect,” is nervy humor, with both punches and punchlines that reflect his years in prison.

Hannah Einbinder, Raanan Hershberg and Mo Welch all take tricky approaches in their quests for laughs.

After two strokes, the stand-up has recovered enough to make a new special. If anything, his health crises have sharpened his humor.

*That’s his opinion. And yet he’s setting a new standard for what life after late-night can look like. (Hint: It’s a lot like what he did on talk shows.)