Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Clapter

In Mike Sacks’ wonderful new book Poking a Dead Frog: Interviews with Today’s Top Comedy Writers, the author asks longtime Saturday Night Live head writer James Downey for a comedy pet peeve. Downey responds, “What has bothered me most for the last few years is that kind of lazy, political comedy, very safe but always pretending to be brave, that usually gets what my colleague Seth Meyers calls ‘clapter.’ Clapter is that earnest applause, with a few ‘whoops’ thrown in, that lets you know the audience agrees with you, but what you just said wasn’t funny enough to actually make them laugh.”

Mark Peters
By Mark PetersJun 21, 2014
Mark Peters
See Full Bio

In Mike Sacks’ wonderful new book Poking a Dead Frog: Interviews with Today’s Top Comedy Writers, the author asks longtime Saturday Night Live head writer James Downey for a comedy pet peeve. Downey responds, “What has bothered me most for the last few years is that kind of lazy, political comedy, very safe but always pretending to be brave, that usually gets what my colleague Seth Meyers calls ‘clapter.’ Clapter is that earnest applause, with a few ‘whoops’ thrown in, that lets you know the audience agrees with you, but what you just said wasn’t funny enough to actually make them laugh.”

Downey cites Bill Maher as a frequent seeker of clapter, describing Maher’s humor as “the ass-kissiest kind of comedy going, reassuring his status-anxious audience that there are some people they’re smarter than.” Clapter plays it safe and isn’t funny or original. According to Downey, anyway. Tina Fey has also dismissively mentioned clapter.

I can understand why a professional comedy writer might look down on clapter. When you’ve written hundreds (or thousands) of sketches and jokes, you’re bound to be a bit jaded and picky about reactions. But laughter has many purposes. We don’t just laugh when we hear a brilliantly constructed joke: we laugh to commiserate and show appreciation. Sometimes we laugh to belittle someone. Most of all, we laugh when something is true. Truth is the sweet spot in the Venn diagram between the “pure” humor Downey prefers and the “ass-kissy” comedy he dislikes.

Just telling the truth can often register as funny when either 1) few people are saying it or 2) there are higher than usual levels of malarkey surrounding the topic. So I wouldn’t write off clapter as the refuge of comedians preaching to the choir. After all, the choir needs to laugh, or just feel like someone is speaking their language, too.

Illustration by Tyler Hoehne

language

The Latest

grandparent caregiver, single mom support, viral family stories, steve lentz, parenting hacks, family bonds, uplifting news, illinois mayor
Past Events

Grandpa steps in when daughter becomes single mom. His next move melts hearts.

tattoo, tattoo stigma, personality traits, scientific study, tattoo history
Culture

Science says you’re wrong about a person’s personality based on their tattoos

peter gabriel, genesis, roadies, pranks, live music
Culture

During one of Peter Gabriel's final Genesis shows, a roadie got naked for an amazing prank

caveman, summer, heat, cave, temperature, cool
Science & Tech

To stay cool in the summer, follow this 2.5 million-year-old trick beloved by cavemen

More For You

ozzy osbourne, t-pain, black sabbath, cover songs, war pigs

Ozzy Osbourne called T-Pain's cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" the best version ever.

Photo credit: Daniel Benavides via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, cropped (left) / Kevin Burkett via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0, cropped (right)

T-Pain reimagined Black Sabbath in what Ozzy Osbourne calls the best 'War Pigs' cover ever

In 2014, T-Pain briefly broke the Internet with his stunning spot on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the acclaimed music series featuring intimate in-office performances. "I know everybody’s wondering where the Auto-Tune is gonna come from," cracked the R&B/hip-hop artist, referencing the popular pitch-correction software that he’s used on hits like 2005's "I’m Sprung" and 2007's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)." "It’s OK—I’ve got it in my pocket. It’s totally fine…It’s all surgically inserted," he quipped.

Jokes aside, the Tiny Desk showcase was a big moment in T-Pain’s career, proving to naysayers that his use of the ubiquitous Auto-Tune wasn’t some kind of masking technique for lackluster vocals. He went bravely bare-bones during that set, relying solely on his natural, soulful tone and impressively acrobatic technique—and he took the same approach during a 2023 live version of Black Sabbath’s 1970 anti-war heavy-metal protest anthem "War Pigs." If that sounds like an odd pairing of artist and song…well, just click play and see for yourself.

Keep ReadingShow less
viral tweets, life philosophy, happiness, simple pleasures, mindfulness, viral stories, self improvement, brooks otterlake

A young girl smiling and playing

Canva

A man's simple list of "9 Delights" went viral—then changed a stranger's life years later

What truly matters in life? Philosophers have pondered this for centuries, debating theories from Stoicism’s embrace of virtue and resilience, to Humanism’s celebration of empathy and human connection, to Utilitarianism’s pursuit of happiness for the greatest number. But sometimes, the most profound insights come from the simplest sources.

Four years ago, X user (formerly Twitter) Brooks Otterlake (@i_zzzzzz) casually tweeted a brief philosophy he called "The Nine Delights." The concept was straightforward yet powerful: "Inventing a new lifestyle philosophy called ‘The Nine Delights,’ where each day, you try to experience at least three of the nine delights."

Keep ReadingShow less
marriage, wedding, relationship, husband, wife, couple, healthy relationship, healthy marriage

The best marriages are rooted in one important aspect of relationships. Can you guess what it is?

Photo by One zone Studio on Unsplash

There’s one key aspect to a healthy marriage that can make your relationship last a lifetime

When sharing the secrets to a happy marriage, there’s one golden rule that comes to mind consistently for experts and longstanding couples alike: friendship. Because while love and lust are nice, of course, being real, honest, and true friends with your partner is the most important part of any relationship, particularly a marriage you’d like to see last.

While studying love and relationships during his professorship at Harvard, Dr. Arthur Brooks has shared that the most important kind of love is companionate love. According to the American Psychological Association, companionate love is “characterized by strong feelings of intimacy and affection for another person rather than strong emotional arousal in the other’s presence.” As the Encyclopedia of Social Psychology shares, companionate love is “also known as affectionate love, friendship-based love, or attachment.” While a guest on the podcastThe Drive helmed by Peter Attia, MD, Brooks discussed the nature of companionate love and its importance to relationships, adding that “the goal of your marriage is not passion, it's friendship.” You really, actually, have to like each other.

Keep ReadingShow less
graham nash, crosby stills & nash, songwriting, LSD, acid trip

Songwriter Graham Nash had a profound acid trip that involved Stonehenge and a cathedral.

Photo credit: Canva: Irisphoto2 (top left), danaibe12 (bottom left), both cropped / David Gans, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped (right)

Graham Nash's life-changing acid trip involved a church, Stonehenge, and a profound revelation

As a songwriter, Graham Nash is widely known for his breezy and peaceful style—one illustrated on a handful of classic singles ("Our House," "Teach Your Children," "Just a Song Before I Go") with folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Unlike, say, the psychedelic sizzle of The Doors, his music doesn’t necessarily scream "LSD." But Nash has often noted the major impact that acid had on him, using the story of his song "Cathedral" as the clear example.

In a June 2025 interview with Vulture, asked about his "most therapeutic recording experience," Nash detailed the surreal tale that inspired the 1977 track. "I had just come from lying in the middle of the grass in Stonehenge," he said, explaining how he walked into a church and spoke to a man dressed like a "Beefeater," who shared some profound advice. "He said, 'Wait a second—you are a traveler. Don’t you know?'" Nash recalled. "Excuse me? He said, 'You are a traveler. Don’t you know it’s just okay to be?' Even behind the acid, that was an incredible statement to make to me at that moment: 'Don’t you know it’s just okay to be?'"

Keep ReadingShow less
christopher walken, bugs bunny, acting, comedy, rabbit, looney tunes, animation, actor

Christopher Walken grew up watching a beloved Looney Tunes character, and became influenced by him as an actor as he got older.

commons.wikimedia.org

Christopher Walken reveals the Looney Tunes character that made him a better actor

For actors, inspiration can come from anywhere, but for Christopher Walken, it comes from none other than Bugs Bunny.

The beloved actor has discussed his penchant for the “wascally wabbit” in the past at least once, telling The New York Times about his acting process. “Sometimes I do things just to amuse myself,” he told the paper. “I’ve played scenes pretending that I was Elvis or Bugs Bunny or a U-boat commander. I just don’t tell anybody.” Walken shared this with Ben Stiller as well while appearing on the Apple TV hit Severance. Stiller mentioned this on the Severance podcast, which prompted the director and fans to wonder just exactly where Walken is doing this.

Keep ReadingShow less
baseball, MLB, sportsmanship, arizona diamondbacks, Ketel Marte

Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.

Photo credit: YouTube screenshot from CBS Chicago

Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt

Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.

Keep ReadingShow less
brian wilson, the beach boys, george martin, the beatles, god only knows

Brian Wilson was blown away by George Martin analyzing The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows."

Photo credit: YouTube screenshot from HighQualityMusic

Brian Wilson was blown away by 'fifth Beatle' George Martin mixing 'God Only Knows' in person

It’s well documented that Brian Wilson, the late Beach Boys mastermind, was an enormous Beatles fan—back in the 1960s, he even entered into a kind of symbiotic creative synergy with the band, as they inspired each other through mutual admiration. So it makes total sense that Wilson would have the highest respect for Sir George Martin, the late producer widely nicknamed "the fifth Beatle" due to his shepherding of the group’s pioneering studio work.

Back in 1997, as part of the Martin-hosted BBC documentary series The Rhythm of Life, these two musical geniuses—arguably the two most influential producers in pop history—met up in Wilson’s neck of the woods to talk shop. "Los Angeles then as well as now was the center of the entertainment business—not just the film business but music too," Martin narrates in the clip, cruising the streets in a vintage Cadillac. "And everybody gravitated here. If you wanted to make records, generally speaking, Los Angeles was the place to come to. And to my mind, no one ever made better records here than the local Southern Californian group The Beach Boys."

Keep ReadingShow less
car, gas, gas price, gas station, money saving, money, gas money

With a few easy steps, becoming more fuel efficient is just a gas pump away.

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

7 unexpected ways to save money on gas that will keep your wallet and your tank full

With gas prices on the rise, everyone could use some extra cash. Here we’ve compiled seven money-saving tips for your time at the gas station so you can spend more funds on summer fun and less on gas.

As of this writing, AAA reports that the average price per gallon of gas is $3.226, but it reaches up to $4.60 in some parts of the country. Numbers like this might seem daunting, but being fuel efficient doesn’t have to be hard–you just have to be mindful when you go about it. Soon, you’ll be on the road in all of your fuel-efficient glory with a few small tweaks to your car routine. Check them out below, with some cameos from our favorite celebrities on wheels.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025