Transcript

Jay Jurden - “Yes Ma’am” & Queer Southern Charm in the City | The Daily Show

From The Daily Show · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 16 min · 3,250 words · 48 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Jay Jurden - “Yes Ma’am” & Queer Southern Charm in the City | The Daily Show", an episode of The Daily Show published November 13, 2025 (16 min, about 3,250 words). It mentions 28 people, works and ideas, including The Seller, pandemic, Wanda Sykes, Mississippi, Louisiana.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 3:00: Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New York, The Seller
  2. – 6:00: A Doll's House, Realism, University of Alabama
  3. – 9:00: Crowd work, Gay Twitter, Nick Offerman, pandemic
  4. – 12:00: Gospel choir director, pandemic
  5. – 15:00: Comedy Central, The Seller, Wanda Sykes
  6. – 16:07: Danger Jones, Wanda Sykes, Yes Man

Notable quotes from "Jay Jurden - “Yes Ma’am” & Queer Southern Charm in the City | The Daily Show"

  • It's it's funny because okay so we got past at the seller around the same time and I remember I was at the seller waiting to go up and I was just like eating or something and this person came up and they were like dude you the other.
    about The Seller · at
  • So,, I've, been, in, New, York, officially, 10 years, but I will never say I'm a New Yorker because I still speak to everybody on the street.
    about New York, New York · at
  • For myself but also for my students. So when I got my MFA, I was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Alabama. So I had to introduce these 18-year-olds…
    about University of Alabama · at
  • So I used to be so like precious with the material. everyone was like this before the pandemic. They go No, it's mine. You can't I'm saving this joke about penises. It's No., Yeah., By, the, Speaking, of, penis,, can Nick Offerman.
    about pandemic · at
  • I kind of talk about my core personality where I say I'm a black queer man also known as a gospel choir director and that didn't right let the church say mhm that didn't make…
    about Gospel choir director · at
  • I also I also have to say this. I have I watch your Tonight Show set. I watch your Comedy Central, New Grace, New Negro set. I like we've always been like comedy peers, but I…
    about Comedy Central · at
  • So, I, have, two., I, have, one, that's, mine and one that's Wanda Sykes. So the Wanda Sykes joke, Wanda Sykes, the special I'mma be me. She had a joke about how she had to come out as a lesbian. And she was she had kind of extrapolated.
    about Wanda Sykes · at
  • No,, absolutely., This, is, crazy., Watch, Yes Man exclusively on here. Danger Jones.
    about Yes Man · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Books & papers

Companies & orgs

Products & tech

Concepts & topics

  • pandemic — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
  • Realism — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Doing nerd there, that, was, one, realism, nerd, that, was like dog house.
  • Crowd work — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Theater background has taught me is that people love standup and people love crowd work and people love being in and of the moment because theater and comedy, they're…
  • Gay Twitter — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Nick Offerman likes Twink. That's going to be on gay Twitter now. I want everyone to know.
  • Ephemerality — Concept · 1 mention
  • Queer — Concept · 1 mention
  • Stand-up comedy — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

Full transcript with timestamps

Thank you so much for coming. Thank, you, for, having, me. Yeah,, absolutely., This, is, this, is, so cool cuz I actually know you.

Yes. Yeah., Like, like, I, really, know, you. We, know, each, other, very, well., We, know each other so well that every now and then you get this and I get this. People say, "Hey, Jay, great job on the Daily Show." And I go, "Okay. Uh what segment?" They go, "At the desk." I go "Oh Josh." It's it's funny because okay so we got past at the seller around the same time and I remember I was at the seller waiting to go up and I was just like eating or something and this person came up and they were like dude you the other day were so were so funny. You were so and like your jokes were like boom boom boom. It was like rapid fire. It was crazy. And in my head I was like I know they're not talking about me. Like that's that's not even what I do. And then and then they told me one of your jokes. I was like oh this is Jay.

Yeah, Josh's like, I'm not married to a man. Oh,, thank, you, so, much, for, coming., I'm, so excited about your special. That means a lot.

Yeah., You, So,, you, grew, up, in Mississippi? Yeah., And, you, grew, up, in, Louisiana?

Yes., Yes., And, so,, we're, both, Yeah. Look, at, that., Yeah., Look, at, them, proof. We got teeth. Look at that. See, they don't think we do.

And, so,, we've, both, been, here, now, for, a long time. Do you feel like a New Yorker?

So,, I've, been, in, New, York, officially, 10 years, but I will never say I'm a New Yorker because I still speak to everybody on the street.

I'm, always, like,, "How, you, doing?", Hey, yeah. Hey. Yeah, baby. I'm I'm still very southern. When I see a old lady sometimes on the train, you know this feeling. You see an older woman get on the train, you instantly get up because you're a southern gentleman. And what you just said to her as New Yorker, sit your old ass down.

Yeah. So,, I, don't, know, how, to, get, rid, of, that. Yeah., No,, absolutely., There's, there's sometimes there was There's there was one time where to your point, right, and I was I was new. I was like a month I only lived here.

Yeah., They, still, smelled, the, creole, on you. Yeah., 100%., Because, then, I, saw, this, guy on the train and it was like it was one of like those six train stops where the gap is like slightly higher on the train than it is on the platform. And though I saw a guy basically back up his wheelchair when the doors open and tried to back in and he couldn't quite get it. And so I walked up and went ahead and like grabbed the back of it and I was like, "Hey, do you need some help?" And then I started pulling him in and this dude I I p I pull him the rest of the way in. And he goes, "Yo, get up off my chair, man." He stands up and I was like "My bad. I didn't I didn't know I was ruining something."

He, said, "You, messing, up, my, hustle, man." Yeah. That's the most intimate thing you can do is like help back help someone back up in a wheelchair. Now I'm still southern. I the special is about being southern. I think it's what makes me funny. I think sometimes the justosition of being southern and sweet and slow in a fastpaced city, it creates some comedy.

Yeah., Yeah. Not, just, sub. And, so, you, you, have, a, BFA, and, an, MFA. Yeah., You, can, say, I'm, in, debt., You, don't have to be I got a BA BFA, and the MFA. I was in school forever.

And, you, and, you, went, to, school, at, Old Miss and Alabama, which Yeah,, because, I, love, being, scared

and, they're, known, as, like, NCAA, schools. Like, is there a theater program as strong as their like football?

Here's, the, thing., No,, but, but, the theater programs were very strong. But when I whenever I was at both of those big SEC schools, there were times when we couldn't rehearse cuz they're like "Hey, these kids going to be drunk and hung over. We cannot make them rehearse with swords. We can't we can't be doing we can't be doing any rapier or sword fights. These kids went to the game." So every now and then, football would supersede theater. But the football culture, especially at Alabama, the culture of winning excellence and uh kind of excelling and executing properly, that was in the the BFA, the MFA program at Alabama. And at Old Miss it was so fun because you have like these party kids who really want to go to college and have the college experience. Next day they'd be like "And now a scene from Street Car Named Desire."

And, so, you, did, you, see, much, of, that crossover? Like is that how you cuz to me I also studied theater and I didn't I didn't go as far as you like I didn't I stopped and

we, get, it., You're, straight., God I, was, trying, to, give, you, a, cop. But, I, I, know, I, know, I, know, what, you mean. I know what you mean. No, it's just I I think that when you have all these sort of like intersections happening at one time, it just gives you a lot of perspective on what people are like. And I think I see a lot of that in your standup. I think I see a lot of the experiences that you've had and and I I see you bring more of your personality to every situation than just uh sort of like taking life for face value and stuff. So

I, was, lucky, I, had, to, do, that, not, only for myself but also for my students. So when I got my MFA, I was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Alabama. So I had to introduce these 18-year-olds 19-year-olds 20-year-olds to theater, and I had to make it interesting enough that they would sit through a 10 a.m. class when they knew we had a big SEC game the next day. They were ready to start partying. I had to be like, "No, no, wait, wait, wait. Y'all heard about Ipsson? Y'all know about a doll's house? This is crazy. Norah and Torval, they getting into it."

Yeah. And so in the time that you've been doing nerd there, that, was, one, realism, nerd, that, was like dog house.

I, wasn't, going, to, say, anything, and, then you called it. So you in the time that both of us have been doing standup, I feel like the landscape has changed for how to get your jokes out or how you present to people and everything. And there's there's a lot of this uh like old school approach that everything happens in the club. Everyone that wants to discover good comedy should like buy a ticket, go to a comedy show live in person, everything. But we see so many millions of people digesting comedy through through their phone, their laptop, the TV, whatever. And I guess are how how are you feeling about the state of that change?

I, think, that, change, is, this, kind, of really cool new pattern of people will discover you on the phone and then come to the club or people see you in the club and they go back and follow you on the phone. I think it's a cycle that actually helps itself. Uh the clips are nothing but like 15 to 30 second commercials for us as comedians as we like pedal our wares. I would love I would love whenever people come to me after a show and they go, "Hey, I don't usually go to comedy clubs." They go, "I don't like comedy. I don't like standup but I liked your clips." So, I started going to the club. And I got to see all these other comics whose work I also enjoy. Because at the end of the day what I want is for people to enjoy, not just me, but also enjoy. You also enjoy other comedians who I think are very funny. I want people to go out and be in community. It's live theater essentially. It's a live performance.

And I think it's a really cool thing when people go, "Okay, this is I'm going to look at this thing on this phone. We're all locked in the house. I'm going to look at this thing on this phone and it's going to get me out of the house and go make me be in community with other people." So, I'm happy.

Have you Have you Have you found yourself in any way um attached to those outcomes though? Like I feel like so many comics uh when when you see their set, you you see them thinking about the clip more than the people that are in front, of them., And, I, feel, like, every time I watch you, I feel like you're really present and everything. And so I'm I

because, I, know, you, and, because, I, I, watch a lot of comics, I don't usually pay much attention to like social media footprint as much as like what they're doing on stage. And and so that's why I say that because I feel like every time I've seen you, you're like you're here with us, you know? Well, I I want to be honest and I think one thing that my theater background has taught me is that people love standup and people love crowd work and people love being in and of the moment because theater and comedy, they're ephemeral. They're fleeting. It happens this way with this audience, with this host, with me at this, moment,, with, this, camera,, it it, all happens just once. And when you digitize it, when you put it up, it's still a little different because it's not in and of the moment. I think I try to stay in the moment. I also love my jokes so much. I love sharing them. I used to be

so I used to be so like precious with the material. You know, everyone was like this before the pandemic. They go "No, it's mine. You can't I'm saving this joke about penises. It's

No., Yeah., By, the, Speaking, of, penis,, can Nick Offerman No, let me let me get Let me get it out. Nick Offerman likes Twink. That's going to be on gay Twitter now. I want everyone to know. But like we used to we used to like protect and hoard our stuff. Now I feel so happy when people go, "Oh, I love this joke. Oh, I love this bit." And because we kind of produce a lot of material now and because we just stay and because the world is crazy enough we keep having more stuff to make jokes about. I feel happy sharing my stuff.

I'm I'm very happy that people see a clip and then they come see me. But I'm even happier if they watch the special. So yeah. you you you've already referenced it but I know that sometimes comics are so precious about everything that goes in the special, everything that gets cut and everything. Was there anything was there any like story or or like any idea that didn't make it in that now that it's out you wish you would have put in or

Okay,, so, I, one, of, my, favorite, jokes, I didn't put in the special simply because I like tr it just like escaped my mind because I was working with so many other things. I have this wonderful joke where I kind of talk about my core personality where I say I'm a black queer man also known as a gospel choir director and that didn't right let the church say mhm that didn't make it to the so now I'm happy when I get to do it live for people but that's a joke I go okay I forgot that one but even right now I I I filmed the special in April and so now I have a new hour that I'm doing that's completely different from the special cuz I want people to feel like they get their money's worth I don't you know I I want people to go oh my god Gosh, Jay is really spoiling us because at the end of the day, as a comedian, I feel this is an industry of service and patronage.

Like, I want to be funny enough that I justify the babysitting cost, the Uber cost, the ticket, the two drinks, the meal, the merch, the picture. Like that's that's what I want to do as a comedian. So, whenever I go, "Oh, I didn't get to do that joke." My creative kind of like north stars, I I'll write another one. So, yeah.

Yeah., Yeah., I'm, with, you. Yeah., I, know, you., Oh,, you, produce., Oh, my god, you make more stuff than all of us.

That, That's, very, common. No,, but, I, What, I, also, love, uh, about, the special is that knowing you from starting and just uh it just feels like a really

Yeah,, I, know., I, know, it's, just, us., Like I know y'all like don't know that we know each other, but this is like

one, of, the, reasons, I'm, I'm, so, excited for you is that I watched you when we were all doing like mics during the pandemic which actually felt like mental illness like that. Like

y'all, don't, even, know, we, were, doing comedy outside every now and then in the park. You know, if you do comedy in the park, if you don't have a microphone you are just a man screaming in the park.

Yeah., Yeah., 100%. That, was, us., Yeah,, for, a, little, bit. 100%., And, so, I, cuz, I, remember, doing, like they were like, "Oh, we're going to do a show." And I was like "Where? It's we're all going to die then." And they were like, "No, it's going to be fine. We're going to do it in the park." And then uh I get to the park cuz I came because I was like I'm about to lose my mind anyway. And then I get to the park and they're like, "Hey, we actually can't use the PA system because it would be everybody talking to the same mic and the droplets and so we would all kill each other." And

so, I, was, like,, "What, do, you, want, me, to do?" And they were like "Project."

They, said,, "Use, that, theater, training." They said, "Josh, diaphragm." That's what they said. Uh, and then at one point we had the little condoms for the mics, the little the little cupcake prophylactics on the mic.

Y'all, y'all, don't, understand, things. Yeah. This is like not a joke at all. Like they did not work. Like the the idea that this piece of cloth they were going to wrap over the mic and we would be safe. It's like, you mean a mask for the mic that we're all spitting on

there?, And, there, were, a, couple, guys, who were like, I brought my own mic. I was like, you nasty.

You, you, you, on, everybody's, show., I, know you a comedy hoe. And, so, then, to, see, to, see, you, from, there to getting past the seller, seeing you at the seller, seeing you have your special come out, it is very very beautiful.

That, means, a, lot,, Josh., Thank, you. It's, also I I also I also have to say this. I have I watch your Tonight Show set. I watch your Comedy Central, New Grace, New Negro set. I like we've always been like comedy peers, but I also love the work you create and also just navigating a space cuz like right now in comedy sometimes as a younger comic you get to say something and older comics like you can't do it that way and then you go well why not? And they go we've always done it this way. And so like to see you kind of forge your own path and to see other comics kind of like break these trends and kind of like spread out their material however they do it, that's inspiring because you go, "Oh, there there isn't just one way to do this."

And that makes me very happy. And look at us now. That's great. So before you go

okay,, I You're, kicking, me, out,, y'all. No,, no,, no., It's, not, It's, not, kicking out. I wish we could talk forever, but they, you know, they they can't stay forever.

I, know., I And, we, don't, want, them, to, leave, one, at, a time. Um,, so, I, know, that, this, like, almost breaks host to comic uh like unspoken rule because it is very difficult to just recite a joke

out, of, nowhere., And, it's, like, I've, done morning news where they've been like "Well, do one of your jokes now." And you're like, "Ah, uh, I didn't think that far." But I'm curious because I'm curious about you. What is your favorite joke of all time?

So, I, have, two., I, have, one, that's, mine and one that's Wanda Sykes. So the Wanda Sykes joke, Wanda Sykes, uh the special I'mma be me. She had a joke about how she had to come out as a lesbian. And she was she had kind of extrapolated. She said, "What would it be like if I had to come out as black?" And she came out as black. And her mom was like "Anything but black, Lord. Please give a cancer, Jesus. Anyone." And so that's my that's my favorite That's That's probably my favorite Wanda Sykes joke. My favorite joke of mine and that's just because it's a fun little tip of the hat in the calling card, is that I say, um, I'm sorry y'all. I'm I'm not even gay. I just want to be marketable. I'm not gay. I'm No I'm not, but I'm also not straight. I'm queer as in everybody's hot. Not gay as in reminding the teacher we have homework. I

So that that's probably my favorite. That, is, my, favorite, now, too., Jay, Jordan, everybody, thank you D. Everybody

thank, you, so, much. Thank, you., Thank, you, for, having, me. No,, absolutely., This, is, crazy., Watch, Yes Man exclusively on here. Danger Jones.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Jay Jurden - “Yes Ma’am” & Queer Southern Charm in the City | The Daily Show"?

In order: 0:00 Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, New York, The Seller; 3:00 A Doll's House, Realism, University of Alabama; 6:00 Crowd work, Gay Twitter, Nick Offerman, pandemic; 9:00 Gospel choir director, pandemic; 12:00 Comedy Central, The Seller, Wanda Sykes; 15:00 Danger Jones, Wanda Sykes, Yes Man.

What is mentioned in this The Daily Show episode?

28 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including The Seller, pandemic, Wanda Sykes, Mississippi, Louisiana, New York, New York. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Jay Jurden - “Yes Ma’am” & Queer Southern Charm in the City | The Daily Show"?

The episode runs 16 min; the transcript is about 3,250 words in 48 timestamped sections.

More from The Daily Show

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 17, 2025.