From The Comic's Comic

If you listen to Pod Save The UK or The Bugle, or you watch Taskmaster, then I don’t have to explain Nish Kumar to you. The British comedian  — twice nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Fringe — sat down with me over Zoom to talk about his new stand-up special, Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe, out now via 800 Pound Gorilla Media. Kumar spoke about how this special allowed him to experience America in a new way, how Chris Rock inspired him as a teenager, how podcasts have distorted the economic reality of making a living as a comedian, algorithms as the new gatekeepers, and how it makes a difference when comedians making fun of each other are friends versus foes. There’s a lot to get to, so let’s get to it!

Watch Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe on YouTube via 800 Pound Gorilla Media

Watch his most iconic Taskmaster moments!

Some other highlights from our chat…

Kumar gave a shout-out to Ron Taylor for winning Funny AF, saying: “I’m a comedy fan who became a comedian.”

On the flip side, he warned about how algorithms on social media platforms have replacced the old-school gatekeepers for comedy. “We’ve traded Mitzi Shore for SkyNet,” Kumar told me.

And here is that opening to Chris Rock: Bigger and Blacker that Kumar cited to me.

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