I want to support what other posters have offered on this thread in terms of inviting more women to participate. Comedy writing has been a tremendously sexist terrain. What Conan and other podcasts (like Marc Maron) perpetuate is a nostalgic view of the 80s and 90s as a kind of golden age for young white men, whether in the Simpsons writing room or in the comedy clubs. I am so glad for Sona's presence on the show and would hope for more of a balance with women guests. The other major limitation for Conan's show is race. Wanda Sykes and Michelle Obama are the only African Americans included, and perhaps Malcolm Gladwell since he identifies as multiracial. Chapelle? Chris Rock? Tracey Morgan? Does Conan only want to be friends with people like him -- straight white men? And aside from the friendship premise of the show, whose work does the show promote? Whose voices are heard? What values and investments of the past does the show perpetuate?
