The Gist

The Man Behind Cabin Boy Sails On

Comedy writer Adam Resnick on getting a Letterman internship, Death to Smoochy, and being your own worst enemy.

“Hey, would you like to buy a monkey?”

Still from Cabin Boy

Listen to Episode 310 of Slate’s The Gist:

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On the day Adam Resnick learned what an internship was, he called up Late Night With David Letterman. From there, his career would be marked by cult classics he’d rather not revisit. We’ll revisit. Hear the story of Resnick’s first big break, and everything he’s regretted making since. The good news? He’s finally found something he is proud of, and that’s his new book Will Not Attend: Lively Stories of Detachment and Isolation. For the Spiel, how should the pro-choice movement consider the Planned Parenthood videos?

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