Talib Kweli And Michelle Wolf Talk Cancel Culture, Roasting Trump, & Comedy Cellar | People's Party

In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, writer, and producer Michelle Wolf. The conversation is an all-encompassing trip through the intersection of comedy, social justice, and politics. The trio discusses Wolf's notorious White House Correspondents' Dinner performance, her fast-tracked comedy career after she left a secure Wall Street job, her thoughts on restorative justice, and her new Netflix comedy special. She also talks about performing at the iconic venue The Comedy Cellar alongside greats like Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld, and her work writing for Seth Myers and Trevor Noah.

Later, Michelle, Jasmin, and Talib examine perceptions of political correctness on the left vs. the right and wonder if hard-liners from either side can really be truly funny. Wolf also unpacks the aggressive backlash from conservatives in the wake of her performance at the White House dinner, offers up the blueprint of how she managed to achieve enormous success in such a short time frame, and dissects the phenomenon of "Cancel Culture."

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Interview timing:

2:26 -- Talib asks Michelle about her speaking voice, which she jokes about frequently, and asks when she started noticing how unique it was. Talib mentions Q-Tip asking him rap on the ATCQ track "The Killing Season" while he had a cold, and Michelle talks about the not-so-fond memories of working at Subway in Hershey, PA, where she was raised.

7:40 -- Michelle speaks on working at Bear Stearns during the financial crisis, and what it was like to see first-hand many of the people hurt most in the wake of that event. Talib asks how leaving Wall Street led her on the path to becoming a comedian.

13:35 -- Talib asks about Michelle's history of being hyper-disciplined in so many aspects of her life -- most notably her years of competitive sports and how that translates to her comedy career. Talib also speaks on his constant drive for improvement as the key to his success, and not necessarily being naturally gifted.

17:56 -- Michelle shares some of her experiences performing at The Comedy Cellar in Manhattan -- describing it as both a touchstone and holy grail for aspiring comedians.

20:43 -- Talib asks Michelle about her work on left-leaning comedy shows like Late Night With Seth Myers and the Daily Show and asks if there are any conservatives in those writer rooms. Then the trio asks the question if attempts from hard-line political comedians from either side can be truly funny. They also discuss progressive vs. conservative humor and how they translate differently to "political correctness."

27:09 -- The trio discuss "white women problems" and asks Michelle about her take on "woman-ism", being the black feminist movement created in response to beliefs that feminism primarily benefits white women.

34:39 -- Michelle talks about her famous set at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Talib asks her if the Trump administration had any clue to what they were getting when they asked her to perform, how she feels about the no-comedian policy set in response to her appearance, and the attacks on her material that referred to Sarah Sanders.

41:54 -- Michelle details her view of Trump being the symptom, rather then the root of the problem, and the silver-lining of racists feeling emboldened to vocalize their beliefs during the Trump-era in that it exposes them for who they are. Left/Right tribalism and stereotypes also get discussed.

47:19 -- Talib asks Michelle about her experience working on her Netflix special, "The Break with Michelle Wolf", and her feelings on other female comics suing the company for race and gender discrimination over pay-inequality.

54:24 -- Jasmin asks Michelle how she was able to fast-track her career through all the usual obstacles that slow down most comics on their paths to achieving real success.

58:13 -- The trio discuss "Cancel Culture" -- a form of boycott in which the called-out person is also thrust out of social or professional circles -- either on social media or in the real world or both, using Kevin Hart's recent clash with the LGBT community as a prime example.

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