Bullseye With Jesse Thorn

Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele talk about their comedy beginnings on MADtv; impersonating everyone from presidents, to weather men, to gang members on their new Comedy Central show; and a card game that Jordan Peele designed himself! Plus, Jesse faces a gaming obsession of his own and the Brothers McElroy solve listeners' pop culture quandaries.

This week David Wain makes the successful leap from cultiest-of-cult comedy to the mainstream multiplex – and keeps things super funny. Correspondant Jordan Morris ranks all of the things in America because we told him to. Plus, the AV Club offers some of their all-time favorite culture picks, and Jesse talks about his JAM — DJ Quick's Pitch In Ona Party.

Daniel Handler delves into his memories of young love to pen the novel "Why We Broke Up" — the twist? He writes the girl's side of the story. The Sklar Brothers talk about their new comedy album – from performing as identical twins to broadening their sports-nerd base. Plus Jesse suggests the Canadian TV show The Newsoom, Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing brings his recommendations and American composer Nico Muhly shares the song that changed his life.

Actor Michael Rapaport profiles his favorite hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, and ends up documenting their deep-rooted friendships and conflicts. Filmmaker Werner Herzog looks into the Chauvet Caves of France, where the oldest known cave paintings exist, practically untouched over thousands of years. Plus, AV Club offer their culture recommendations, Jesse suggests you listen to Sly Stone's "If You Want Me To Stay" and comedy group Kasper Hauser make up the news.

Tim and Eric are known for the surreal and uncomfortable comedy in their sketch show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. They also promoted Shrek 3 without permission from the movie studio. Now, they've made a billion dollar movie of their own. Cartoonist Roz Chast explains some of her day-to-day fears like balloons, water, and sitting on the ground. Plus a section from God's memoir (as dictated to comedy writer David Javerbaum) and Jesse suggests Randy Newman in his outshot.

Jenna Fischer talks about her totally-made-up-sounding first acting gig in LA, auditioning for The Office, and what all the actors are doing on their computers when they're in the background of a shot. The very real Jack Handey talks about his days as Steve Martin's neighbor, and how he writes Deep Thoughts. Plus this week's video game recommendations from Heather Anne Campbell and more!

Aisha Tyler funnels her childhood outsider-y experiences toward comedy and performance. She's on the animated FX show Archer. David Hornsby talks about building comedic stories from his real life relationships. His new animated FX show is called Unsupervised. Plus, the AV Club shares their recommendations and Jordan Morris puts America in its place ... by ranking everything.

In a supplement to this week's interview, Lawrence Weschler talks with Jesse about The Museum of Jurassic Technology. Don't miss this!

Jesse interviews comedian Chris Gethard about booking P. Diddy at a tiny theater in New York. Lawrence Weschler talks about why CGI faces will never look quite right, and why humans are addicted to narrative. Plus rap picks from Andrew Noz and pop culture advice from My Brother, My Brother and Me.

The first episode of Bullseye! Jesse interviews the cast of Downton Abbey, a costume drama on PBS Masterpiece that is NOT BORING AT ALL. He'll also talk to Chris Lilley, the Australian comedian behind Summer Heights High and the new HBO show Angry Boys. Plus, hear culture picks from the AV Club and the song that changed the Baltimore musician Dan Deacon's life.

Once a year the small staff here at The Sound of Young America compiles the best comedy we've heard from the past year. Our selections may not be poignant, they may not contribute to a broader understanding of our world, but hey, at least they're funny. Hear from Patton Oswalt, Tig Notaro, Mike Birbiglia and many many others this week on the Sound of Young America's 2011 comedy special.

Ed Levine is the founder and editor of the blog Serious Eats, a forum for sharing "food enthusiasm." He's written regularly about NY food and the iconic American foods and their place in our society. The blog has spawned a new book, called Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Are.

Our contributor Rob Baedeker's new kick is his organic farm, and he shares the letter from his CSA box with us. Rob is a member of the comedy sketch group Kasper Hauser and a freelance writer.

Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold talks to us about how he manages the day to day eating, the best pastrami sandwich, overcoming food fears and more. He writes for the LA Weekly and is the author of the highly regarded food guide to Los Angeles, Counter Intelligence.

Carrie Fisher is perhaps best known as Princess Leia from the seminal Star Wars films, but she began her celebrity life as a baby — the daughter of America's sweethearts, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. Carrie battled addiction, mental illness and the ups and downs of celebrity to reinvent herself as a successful novelist and memoirist. Her new memoir, Shockaholic, is out now.

AV Club Editor Keith Phipps and Associate Editor Tasha Robinson join us to give their culture picks for December 2011.

Nile Rodgers launched a string of hits with the group Chic, including "Le Freak" and "Good Times", and went on to become a songwriting and producing superstar. He was behind Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out", David Bowie's "Let's Dance", Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and many more. Now, he reflects on decades of hitwriting, collaborating, and the meaning of music in his life. His new autobiography is Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny.

Our correspondent Jordan Morris pores over what's happening in America to let you know what's best in the US right now.

Patrick Warburton is a live and voice actor known for his roles on Seinfeld, NewsRadio and The Venture Brothers among others. He's currently starring in the popular CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement and is the voice behind the talk show host in the animated series Effin With Tonight on Crackle

Rod Baedeker from Kasper Hauser drops by The Sound of Young America to share with us his ground-breaking lecture he gave at Cal Tech.