{
  "id": 19196511,
  "title": "Raanan Hershberg on Stand-Up, Beating the Algorithm & Finding Your Voice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/raanan-hershberg-on-stand-up-beating-the-algorithm-finding-your-voice",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-09T18:36:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mashable",
    "slug": "mashable",
    "url": "https://mashable.com/entertainment/raanan-hershberg-interview-comedy-say-more"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Raanan Hershberg, a stand-up comic renowned for his razor-sharp, long-form premises and self-awareness, has avoided succumbing to internet trends through years of honing his craft in the New York scene and creating specials like Brave and Jokes from the Underground. In an exclusive interview, Hershberg delves into his latest hour, Did You Like Me?, the tricky world of social media virality, and the importance of maintaining artistic integrity.\n\nHershberg reflects on the early 2000s era of \"punching-down\" comedy, acknowledging the guilt associated with edgy material and how domestic arguments can serve as the foundation for more honest and relatable content. He explores the nature of truth in stand-up comedy, explaining how audiences instinctively suspend disbelief, and how breaking the fourth wall can lead to greater laughter.\n\nThe comic also discusses the \"algorithm trap\" and how pursuing fleeting viral clips can erode a performer's unique voice. Hershberg emphasizes the difficulty of balancing smart promotion with writing for social media, stressing that virality often stems from misinterpretations of jokes. His upcoming performance of Did You Like Me? will be live at the 2026 New York Comedy Festival, and his specials, including his award-winning short film Memory Room, are currently available on YouTube. Fans can follow Raanan Hershberg on Instagram (@raanancomedy), purchase tickets and tour dates via punchup.live/raanan/tickets, and listen to his podcast, Your Favorite Movie Sucks.",
  "summary": "Comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster Raanan Hershberg discusses the craft of stand-up comedy, navigating artistic integrity in the age of algorithms, and the evolution of his comedic voice.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}