Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

Ms. Pat’s standup comedy is direct, clever and raw. She headlines shows all over the country and she’s got her own TV show – The Ms. Pat Show on Paramount+. We’ll get into her Emmy nominated sitcom, her extraordinarily difficult road to success and why she decided to take a chance on standup in the first place. Plus, a bonkers story about the time she took an order from a U.S. President at a fast food restaurant. A version of this interview originally aired in July of 2024.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Bob Mackie died on September 14, 2026. He was 87. Mackie made a career out of dressing big personalities in kinetic, sparkling garb. When he joined us last year, his life and career were profiled in the documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion. The film covers the era-defining design work he did and the extraordinary life he lived. Mackie joined us to talk about his early affinity for performance outfits, marrying costumes and comedy, and getting started in the business working with old Hollywood legends. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Did you know that folks that support Bullseye directly get access to a monthly bonus podcast? Put You On is the show where Jesse and a guest answer recommendation questions from our audience members on just about anything: movies, albums, ways to cook, books and more. We wanted to give you a little taste from our most recent episode with co-host of NPR and WHYY's Fresh Air – we're joined by Tonya Mosley! Check out this full episode and listen to all previous and upcoming episodes of Put You On by clicking here. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

This week, our guest is David Letterman. The one and only. The legend of late night television talks about the Late Show, about his triumphs and failures, and his TV show: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix. A version of this interview originally aired in November of 2020. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

I Wish I Made That is a segment where we invite some of our favorite creative folks to dive deep into a piece of culture. We are joined by Eric Appel. He directed the biopic spoof Weird: The Al Yankovic Story from a few years ago. The thing he wished he had made? Eric dives deep into his love of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and the time he got to work with Paul Reubens’ iconic character. Eric’s latest movie The Breadwinner is available to rent or purchase digitally now. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Filmmaker and writer Walter Thompson-Hernández joins us to talk about his new movie, If I Go, Will They Miss Me. He shares why the movie has such little plot, and why Greek mythology plays such an important role in the film. He also talks about his time as a writer at the New York Times, some of his favorite LA-based films and more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

We've got a favorite from the Bullseye archives: Elvis Costello. The legend is celebrating the 49th anniversary of his debut album My Aim is True. Recently, a five CD box set was released to commemorate the occasion. The release features 104 tracks, with over 50 never-before-heard recordings on it. When Elvis Costello joined us he talked about his father's career and love of music, what inspired him to write a memoir and who knows him by his legal name: Declan McManus. A version of this interview originally aired in October of 2015.   See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

We’re taking a moment to remember Dolly Parton who died on August 25, 2026. The trailblazing icon of country and western music joined us on Bullseye back in 2012. She’d just released a book called Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You. Dolly talked with us about her impoverished childhood, how she’s dealt with fame over the years, and some of the songs that can still make her cry. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Documentarian Alysa Nahmias has directed and produced films about PTSD, navigating the world with disabilities, the criminal justice system and other serious topics. Her latest film is called Cookie Queens follows the lives of four young girls as they sell Girl Scout cookies. It may seem like a departure from Alysa's previous work, but it's a story that's not just about cookies. Alysa joins us to talk about how she landed this subject to tell a story that's about the pressures of aging out of childhood, economic class and the harsh realities of capitalism.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

We’re talking with Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes of the emo band American Football. The band just released their fourth full length album, simply titled: American Football (LP4). Mike and Steve join us to chat about their early years playing music together in high school, how they eventually came to cut a record in college, and reveal what happened to the house pictured on the cover of their debut album. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Geena Davis is a genuine legend in show business: Beetlejuice, Thelma and Louise, A League of Their Own and many more. For over two decades, The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has gathered data on representation of not just women but of all marginalized groups and how they're being represented in entertainment media. She gets into her work with the institute, her acting career and how she almost became an Olympic archer. A version of this interview originally aired in May of 2016. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Rakim changed the rap game forever. He’s one half of the groundbreaking hip-hop duo, Eric B. and Rakim. And a legendary solo rapper in his own right. Rakim joined us on the show back in 2023. That year marked 50 years of hip-hop. He talked with us about how he met Eric B, shared stories about his late friend and fellow emcee, Biz Markie and much more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

The character actor Dale Dickey has a career that spans nearly four decades and more than 150 roles. When she's on screen you know you're in for a treat. Dale's now in her mid-60's, and she's just been nominated for her first Emmy for her performance in Apple TV's Widow's Bay. She joins us on Bullseye to talk about the Emmy-nominated show. Plus, we get into the time she played Shrek... at various kids parties in the greater Los Angeles area. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Comedian, podcaster and actor Stavros Halkias joins us on the latest episode! He chats with us about starring in the new Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony, when he discovered a passion for joke telling, his distinct look and much more! See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

I Wish I Made That is a segment where we invite some of our favorite creative folks to dive deep into a piece of culture. We are joined by writer Kurt Andersen. IAnderson is a longtime writer and editor, as well as co-founder the magazine Spy and former host of the public radio show Studio 360. The thing he wished he had made? The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. The book chronicled the counterculture movement of the '60s. It did not make Kurt more of a hippie than he already was, but it did make him want to be a writer. Kurt's latest novel The Breakup will be out August 18th, pre-order now. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Isaiah Rashad, our guest, dropped his third album this past Spring. The record is called It’s Been Awful, and doesn’t take long into listening to it to tell that despite the obstacles life has dealt him – Isaiah’s thriving and maybe making his best work yet? Isaiah joins us to talk about the new album, his favorite Prince song, parenthood and much more! See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Did you know that folks that support Bullseye directly get access to a bonus podcast? Put You On is the show where Jesse and a guest answer recommendation questions from our audience members on just about anything: books, movies, cooking! We've had people like Linda Holmes, Alonso Duralde and more. This month we were joined by Derek Guy – the famous Menswear Guy from social media. We're presenting a bit from that episode in the feed. You can listen to this full episode and see what we've been working on by clicking here.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Sean Clements is a writer for the big and small screen. His latest project is a feature film called The Dink. It's a movie about pickleball starring Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson. The movie was inspired by some of Sean's experiences with the sport – which he was very skeptical about at first as a pretty serious tennis player. We also get into his work as co-host of the comedy podcast Hollywood Handbook and what it's like to make celebrities uncomfortable on that show. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Grammy-winning bassist, producer and singer Meshell Ndegeocello is back on Bullseye! Earlier this year she produced a tribute album dedicated to the late blues guitarist BB King. She joined us to chat about the new record, her early days playing with go-go band Rare Essence, why she loves being a band leader as a bass platter, and much more. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

John Early and Kate Berlant have been performing as a comedy duo for over a decade now – their brand of comedy is a little surreal, a little unhinged and always laugh-at-loud funny. John and Kate joined us on the program a few years ago.They talked with Jesse about their comedy special Would It Kill You to Laugh?, how they balance their creative partnership with their independent work and why Kate should have eaten a tuna melt before sitting down to her NPR interview.  See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy