What I’m Watching & Reading: August 8, 2026
Ft. Nato Green, Mosab Abu Toha, Anthony Jeselnik, and more.
It’s the freaking weekend. If you need something to do with it, allow me to recommend:
Nato Green: The Darkest Hour
"There is comedy of escapism," the labor organizer and comedian Nato Green told Deadline about his debut special, "but this is whatever is the opposite of that." Now that's an ethos I can get behind. Out via Blonde Medicine on YouTube, The Darkest Hour is an unflinching look at the pressing issues of our time—the genocide, the cruelties of the right and failures of the left, something called the Atlantic porkfish sweetlips—and also a very funny one. A gruff, deadpan comic who spends much of the hour in front of a whiteboard, Green offers a vision of political comedy that's sharply polemical without sacrificing the sort of silliness that, I can only assume, is what allows the fans of conservative comedians to tell themselves their faves aren't actually political at all. That's not to suggest the irreverence helps the polemics go down easy; Green respects his audience's intelligence too much for that. It's more that his skill, like Jon Stewart's or John Oliver's, lies in locating the absurdities at the heart of our social and political life. I'll admit that his work is new to me, but I'm excited to see more.
The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart: On Gaza and Humanity featuring Mosab Abu Toha
Speaking of Jon Stewart, I hadn’t seen his episode with Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha until Abu Toha tweeted about it the other day. It’s a difficult conversation but it’s absolutely worth your time.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Shane Gillis Explains How He Got into Comedy, Talks Netflix Show Tires
Look, I just think it’s funny to go on an NBC talk show to discuss your beginnings in comedy without mentioning THAT ONE BIG THING.
