Comedian bombed so badly in Amsterdam TV show cut to woman drinking empty glass
"Joe bombed, um, so bad that they ran out of things to cut to in the room and they just cut to a woman drinking an empty glass."
About this episode
Host Lauren Chen sits down with comedian Rachel Feinstein for her second appearance on the First Date podcast in this wide-ranging, candid conversation that prioritizes storytelling over traditional dating discussion. Feinstein, a New York-based comic touring nationally and married to a New York City firefighter with whom she has a six-year-old daughter, shares deeply personal and humorous stories about marriage, motherhood, and the realities of bombing on stage. The episode's standout moment comes when Feinstein reveals she accidentally threw away her husband's original Nintendo console with all its games during a spring cleaning mishap, a transgression he still holds against her. The conversation veers through territory including protective parenting failures, early adolescent embarrassments, and the psychological aftermath of catastrophic comedy performances. Chen contributes her own story of bombing at a London comedy club while remaining bizarrely confident about her material despite audience silence. The episode also features extended discussion about comedian Joe DeRosa, with both women playfully roasting him throughout. Feinstein discusses living in Queens, balancing touring with family life while eight months pregnant with her second child, and her experiences dealing with brutal online comments. The conversation reveals the unglamorous realities of comedy careers, including Chen's experience following a special needs choir singing the national anthem at a corporate gig and Feinstein's encounter with a hack opener whose main bit involved calling himself the Beaver Hunter.
Key takeaways
- Rachel Feinstein accidentally threw away her husband's original Nintendo console and games during spring cleaning after he failed to mention it was important when she asked
- Feinstein's husband, a New York City firefighter, still holds grudges about lost items including the Nintendo and borrowed AirPods she misplaced
- Comedian Joe DeRosa bombed so badly on an Amsterdam TV show that producers cut to footage of a woman drinking from an empty glass
- Lauren Chen bombed at London's Backyard Comedy Club but remained convinced her material was excellent and the audience simply didn't understand her jokes
- Feinstein is eight months pregnant with her second child and discusses balancing touring comedy with raising a six-year-old daughter in Queens
- Chen had to follow a special needs choir singing the Star-Spangled Banner at a corporate event, calling it an impossible setup
- Both comedians discuss dealing with harsh online comments calling Feinstein a snout and oven dodger and criticizing Chen's voice and appearance