Don’t Be Alone with Jay Kogen
Podcast Archive
Missed an episode of the podcast and want to give it a listen? Have a favorite you want to listen to, again? Visit our podcast archive via the links below.

Sklar Bros Defend Jay’s Moronic Love of Sports
Randy and Jason Sklar can currently be seen in the fourth season of FX’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS playing fictional Property Brothers ‘Bran and Toby Daltry’. The Sklars produced, wrote, and starred in THE NOSEBLEEDS, a UFC original series that released this summer on UFC’s Fight Pass.

Conan O’Brien Explains That Jay Needs to Just Shut Up
Conan O’Brien and Jay discuss the neurotic need to constantly make jokes at the peril of personal relationships and true communication. They also talk about their kids and wives putting up with them, their long friendship, podcasting, comedy, growing older in comedy, Conan’s new show “Conan O’Brien Must Go”, and reading commercials.

Weird Al Perfects His Craft While Jay Clearly Doesn't
Jay smothers Weird Al with love and appreciation for Al’s perfection in his parody. We talk about Mad Magazine, Looney Tunes, pizza, travel, doing what you want, the power of an orchestra, the two pulls of being a comic vs a musician, how a true showman can come out of Linwood, and giving up architecture for being a professional goofball/genius.

Tony Shalhoub Declares Jay’s Too Shallow
Tony and Jay meet for the first time. We talk about the depth of his character, Primo, in “The Big Night” and why Jay can’t find that depth in real like.

Toby Huss Explains Why Jay Can’t Handle Adventure
Toby and Jay talked about art and trying to see art (and life) from unique perspectives. Jay calls Toby a weirdo. And, like a weirdo, he accepts it as the compliment which is what it was actually meant to be.

Author Kliph Nesteroff Tells Jay He's Remembering His Life Wrong
Entertainment Journalist and all around funny guy Kliph Nesteroff talks about a Canadian kid who got into collecting stories of strange and eccentric show business events. We both talk about our short lived stand-up days. Capturing worthwhile memories, and how Milton Berle was a jerk. I also stump Kliph when I ask him what else he would care about if I took show business stories away.

David Wild’s 30 Year Party With Music’s Biggest Names & Why Jay’s Not Invited
David, fresh off of a weekend with Donny Osmond talks about a lifetime of celebrities. Idolizing them, meeting them, interviewing them, befriending them and eventually making them stars once again on his grammy specials. We also talk Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Frank Sinatra, and Phil Rosenthal plus a special surprise call from Brad Paisley!

Writer Eugene Garcia-Cross Explains Why Jay Isn’t Happy Enough
Eugene Garcia-Cross talks about growing up in Pennsylvania, losing his dad early, and becoming a literature professeur only to give it all up to be a Hollywood comedy writer. Only to wind up writing books on the side.

Singer Nicole Atkins Tells Jay He’s Been Squandering His Creativity
Nicole talks about the difference between creation and nervous activity and how hard it is to distinguish between the two. We also talk about procrastination, Elvis Costello, the need to let ideas simmer, collaborating on a show, making an album, the meaning of music, the tricks to productivity, and the joy of baby steps.

John Ross Bowie Explains Why He Can Meet His Heroes and Jay Can’t
We talk about how to pronounce Bowie, the love of Monty Python, Elvis Costello, growing up in New York, the Ramones. John’s new play, Brushstroke, my love of John’s wife, Jamie Denbo, John’s possible love of Jay’s wife if he ever meets her, John Cleese, and more!

Director Paul Feig Encourages Jay To Completely Remake Himself ASAP!
Paul and Jay discuss looking like losers and feeling like winners, and wearing clothes to match your goals and garner respect, being authentic, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, directing, collaborations, and more!

Millennials Tell Jay Why The Youngs Will Never Love Him
We talk about trying to stay positive in a down comedy market, how Jay did or didn’t fit in writing a pilot with much younger people, what started the desire to perform, inspirations, Boy Meets World, and the trick to showbiz is just never leaving.

Writing Legend Rob Edwards Exhorts Jay To Avoid Showbiz Disaster
We discuss our friendship since 1985, teaching at USC, the graphic novel “Defiant” about slave Robert Smalls who stole a southern ship and gave it to the north, Rob’s analytical brain, and more!

Kevin Nealon Explains Why Jay’s Son Will Never Respect Jay
Comedian Kevin Nealon talks about being an older dad, and the butt of all jokes, bad impressions, secret to stand-up comedy, stumbling into SNL and making Weekend Update and how good Germany smells.

Actress Suzy Nakamura Explains Why Jay’s A Hack
On this episode we talk about making art for artsake. Suzy convinces Jay to start a second career as an actor and demands I put myself in my own show.

Gary Gulman Explains Why Jay’s Latchkey Childhood Ruined Him
Comedian/Author Gary Gulman and Jay compare their latchkey childhoods with memories of being alone, watching endless TV and worrying about whether the real world would have more channels.

Bryan Cranston Details Why His Life Is So Much Better Than Jay's
Bryan talks about committing to craft and giving up on whether you get the gig.

Rizwan Manji Tells Jay Not To Box Himself In
Rizwan how he got from Calgary to Hollywood, how he stopped playing terrorists and started playing himself, how serious actors who have the knack for funny can make it, and how Jay needs to reconsider acting as a profession.

Comedy Legend Lew Schnieder Scolds Jay for Crossing The Comedy Line
Writer/comic Lew Schnieder and Jay talk about the jokes they aren’t allowed to tell and how important being “funny” is to them both.

Kevin Nealon Shames Jay for Not Being A True Artist
The talented Kevin Nealon comes in for a quick visit in between painting, writing, stand up, acting and being a renaissance man, while Jay… isn’t. They discuss what’s normal and why Jay can’t be.