Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

"Weird Al" Yankovic is the undisputed king of parody music. He's been recording music for over 40 years and sold millions of records. He's got an iconic voice, the chops for pop and a sense of humor that's both distinct and approachable. After all this time, Weird Al is getting the biopic treatment. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was co-written by Al himself and debuts on the Roku channel on Friday, November 4th. He joins Bullseye to talk about Weird and the creation process behind the film. He also talks about how he got into making music and learning to play the accordion at a young age. Plus, he tells us about the time he decided he could make a living out of recording parody songs about food.

We're celebrating the season with our annual Bullseye Halloween Spectacular. We kick things off with an in-depth, funny conversation with R.L. Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series. Stine talks about how he got into writing, how he comes up with titles and why he wishes he never dreamed up an evil ventriloquist dummy. We'll hear about the craziest day in the wild, storied career of drag queen Monét X Change (Ru Paul's Drag Race, Hulu's Huluween Dragstravaganza). Also, an interview with Ana Fabrega, star and co-creator of the great TV series Los Espookys.

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives a chance for musicians and artists to tell us about the song that made them who they are. This week, we talked to Lil' Mike and Funny Bone, a rap duo from Oklahoma City. Mike and Bone are brothers who got their big break in 2013 when they made an appearance on America's Got Talent. And they are truly unique - they're both members of the Pawnee tribe, both stand a little over 4 feet tall, and they perform Christian rap. Mike and Bone are also actors who appear on FX's Reservation Dogs. When we asked about the song that changed their life, they enthusiastically agreed on a mutual favorite.

For over twenty years, Steve-O has performed on Jackass in all its iterations. He's done stunts on the original TV show, the movies and the spinoffs. He's risked life and limb, suffered countless serious injuries and in doing so made millions of people laugh and gasp. Recently, he's reunited with the Jackass crew for their latest film: Jackass Forever. He also has a new memoir out called: A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I've Learned From a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions. Steve-O joins the show to chat about his new memoir and his work in Jackass over the years. He also talks about whether or not going sober has affected the work he does on screen with Jackass. Plus, he shares what it was like performing in a circus on a cruise ship.

Tom Scott is a rapper from New Zealand's underground hip-hop scene. He's been rapping for over a decade now. He grew up in Auckland – the biggest city in a very small country. In 2018, Tom released an amazing, beautiful album under the name Avantdale Bowling Club. On the record, he reflects on his roots. His childhood. The friendships he's lost. The places he's been. His family. It's an intimate hip hop record with jazz instrumentation. Tom recently released Trees, a follow up to the self-titled debut album. We're taking a moment to revisit our conversation with Tom from 2019. Tom explains what it's like to write an album that brings back somber memories, and why he felt it was important to use original jazz songs, rather than jazz samples.

Before John David Washington was an actor, he was lacing up the pads every week for a career in professional football. It seems fitting, then, that when he took up acting, his breakthrough role was the portrayal of an NFL player on HBO's Ballers . Washington has since gone onto play a bunch of other big parts since Ballers. He has since had a lead part in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman and a role in the brand new mystery comedy Amsterdam, which just hit theaters. In 2019, he joined us to chat about the many times he had to audition for his role on Ballers. Plus, what it was like to get a stunning offer for his role in BlacKkKlansman in a text message from Spike Lee.

Hua Hsu is a staff writer for The New Yorker. He's written profiles and reviews of artists like Bjork, bell hooks, and Sandra Oh. He's also a professor of English at Bard College, with a passion for elevating underappreciated talent in literature. His new book, Stay True, is an intimate and probing memoir. In Stay True, Hsu looks back on his early twenties, when he was an undergrad at University of California, Berkeley. Stay True is about the most intimate relationships that defined his adolescence and young adulthood. Hua Hsu shares how writing this book reflected and refracted his relationship with his own American-ness.

Bonnie Raitt is a legend. Now in her 70's she's still touring, still shredding and still writing songs. She's been recording music for over 50 years and she's won ten Grammys. Bonnie's also been in the rock and roll hall of fame for over two decades. Earlier this year she released Just Like That. Her eighteenth full length studio album. Our correspondent Ray Suarez talked with Bonnie about the new album. She gets into coming into her own as an artist, playing through the pandemic and getting back on the road. Plus, she'll talk about her longtime friend and collaborator John Prine, and what it was like performing his music after his death in 2020.

Michael R. Jackson is the creator of A Strange Loop. The groundbreaking show won the honor for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the most recent Tony Awards. Recently our correspondent Julie Klausner caught the show on Broadway, and she fell in love right away. Klausner and Jackson talked about writing the musical, showing it to his family, and so much more.

Billy Eichner was already a working comedian when he rose to fame as the host of Billy on the Street - a bonkers game show where he runs up and down the streets of Manhattan shouting questions at strangers. Now, he's written and starred in his first movie. Bros is a romantic comedy, produced by Judd Apatow, about a same-sex relationship. Bros features an entirely LGBTQ+ cast - the first of its kind from a major studio.

Chris Estrada is a stand-up comedian and co-creator of the new TV comedy, This Fool. Estrada also stars as the show's main character: Julio. Julio lives in South Central Los Angeles, where Chris grew up, but the show isn't autobiographical. Julio works at a local nonprofit that helps former gang members adjust to life on the outside. The show follows the misadventures of Julio and his cousin Luis who has finished up a lengthy prison sentence. The show is funny, human, unexpected and at times, surprisingly sweet. We talk with Chris about co-creating This Fool, his love of punk music and his late start as a stand-up comedian.

Bobby Moynihan first appeared on SNL in 2008, and starred on the show for nearly a decade. He did a few impressions, but his strength was portraying offbeat characters. When Bobby left SNL in 2017, he began to appear in a variety of projects; shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and movies like The Secret Life of Pets. In his free time in-between projects, Bobby began writing. He created Loafy, the series of shorts about a cartoon, drug-dealing manatee of the same name. Lightning Wolves, an adult send-up of late 20th century animated shows like Captain Planet, came next. Bobby recently transferred that same passion for writing into the book world. He just published his first children's book, Not All Sheep are Boring. It follows the adventures of sheep who actually lead rich, interesting lives and have hobbies like drinking coffee, metal detecting, and eating pasta. Bobby sat down with Bullseye to discuss his latest venture.

Loudon Wainwright III is a singer and songwriter. He began his folk career in the late 60s, and released his self-titled debut in 1970. He's occasionally referred to as a novelty singer, but his broad musical catalog has proven that to be untrue. Loudon has recorded 26 studio albums, six compilations, and four live albums. His album High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project brought him his first Grammy in 2010 for Best Traditional Folk Album. He recently turned 75 and commemorated this milestone with his newest album called Lifetime Achievement. He stops by to chat about the album and plays some music.

Christine Baranski is an actor with an impressive resume. She went to Juilliard, performed on Broadway in shows like The Real Thing, Rumors, and House of Blue Leaves – she's won two Tony Awards. On the hit sitcom Cybil she played the title character's best friend, Maryann and won an Emmy award for the role. Baranski's an iconic character actor with a distinctive look that commands your attention on screen. In 2009, she got a part on The Good Wife as Diane Lockheart. The show's spin off The Good Fight is airing its final season now on Paramount+. Baranski reflects on her time portraying Diane on The Good Fight as the show wraps up. Plus, she talks about being one of the early graduates of Juilliard, and her long-time collaborated relationship with Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim.

Cristin Milioti is an actor who's been in a lot of stuff lately. She's in the HBO show Made for Love , the new Peacock series The Resort and she's appeared on FX's Fargo and in the Wolf of Wall Street. When we talked with her on Bullseye, she had just starred in 2020's Palm Springs where she acted alongside Andy Smaberg. Linda Holmes, the host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, conducted the interview. They talk about Palm Springs and Cristin's roles on shows like How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock and in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show Once.

James Acaster is a standup comic from London. On stage, his comedy is observational, a little absurd and animated, but also really cutting. His most recent special is called Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999. This week, we're revisiting our conversation with James from 2018. We'll talk about the different ways comics in the US and UK develop their material and how James has struggled to bring his comedy stateside. Plus, he'll discuss the time he genuinely believed he was in a band that could change the world, and how a near death experience led him to a career in stand-up. His third book James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media is out now.

Bonnie Hunt has done it all. And she is extremely good at, well, all of it. She's a comedian, an actor, a TV host, a writer and a director. Her first ever part was in Rain Man, and since then she's starred in films like Jumanji (1995), had parts in three sitcoms in the 90s, and hosted her own talk show in the 2000s. Bonnie has also created several hit TV shows and directed movies. Her latest endeavor is a family TV series called Amber Brown, which is now streaming on Apple TV Plus. It's based on the Paula Danziger book of the same name. Bonnie Hunt joins Bullseye to talk about the new show and why she thought it was important to make an understated kid's series. She also talks about how she discovered improv in Chicago, and how she managed to combine it with her day job as a nurse. Plus, she talks about The Bonnie Hunt Show and what made it so unique.

It's easy to forget how even the smallest roles of the government can affect our lives in profound ways. The G Word is a comedy-documentary series that explores just that. On the show, the surprising ways the US government finds its way into everyday life are examined through deep dives into topics like bank regulation, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Weather Service and more. Adam Conover hosts The G Word. Throughout the series Adam covers the government's triumphs, but also its failures. Adam talks with us about The G Word, his previous series Adam Ruins Everything, and the journey to find his voice as a comic.

Danny Elfman has made some of the most iconic, recognizable music over the last half a century. He fronted Oingo Boingo in the early 80s. He scored his first film in 1985: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, followed soon by other iconic movies like Batman, Beetlejuice, and Mission Impossible. Last year, he released his first rock album in over 3 decades: Big Mess. And this year, he's followed it up with another album: Bigger, Messier. The album features remixes of songs from Big Mess from artists like Trent Reznor, Xiu Xiu, and Iggy Pop. He talks with our correspondent Brian Heater about all that and more. Also, crustaceans.

The Craziest Day of My Entire Career is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite people about the weirdest workday they have experienced so far. This time around, we're joined by the one and only Patton Oswalt. Patton's resume speaks for itself. He's an Emmy and Grammy award winning standup comic. He played the voice of Remy in the Disney Pixar film Ratatouille . He's also a hilarious comic actor with the skills for drama, too. When we asked Patton about the craziest day of his entire career, well he didn't have to spend too long thinking about it. He took us back to the time he declined a free ride in the Planters Peanut Mobile only to be party to an intense, harrowing road rage battle.