Kliph Nesteroff Explains Why Canadians Are Funny. Jay Still Isn’t.

About this episode

Comedy historian and author Kliph Nesteroff joins Jay to answer one of life's great mysteries: Why are Canadians so damn funny? From Jim Carrey and Norm Macdonald to Kids in the Hall, Nathan Fielder, SCTV, Michael J. Fox, and countless others, Canada has produced an absurd amount of comedy talent. Kliph has a theory about why — and it might have something to do with being an outsider looking in on America. Kliph also tells Jay about growing up in rural Canada, obsessing over comedy and The Simpsons, becoming “California sober” before ever moving to California, and the legendary high school election where he roasted his teachers in front of the entire school, won the presidency 398–2… and promptly got kicked out. They also dig into the strange history of Canadian television, why some brilliant Canadian comedians never become famous in America, what actually makes something funny, and why Southern California apparently doesn't count as moving to the United States. Kliph's new book, Sorry, We're Funny: How Canada Became a Comedy Powerhouse, explores how a country once dismissed as humorless became responsible for some of the funniest people in entertainment. And after nearly an h