Ben Gleib: The Comedian Who Escaped Network Censorship | Commune Podcast

Why did comedian Ben Gleib turn down every network and launch his own late-night talk show on YouTube instead? Jeff Krasno sits down with Ben Gleib, host, CEO, and executive producer of "Good Night with Ben Gleib," the first late-night talk show in history not owned by a corporate conglomerate. Ben and Jeff get into why now is the moment for independent late night, what it's like watching Brendan Carr and the FCC pressure networks over hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, and why owning your own platform means nobody can cancel your show out from under you. Watch Ben's show, "Good Night with Ben Gleib," Thursdays at https://makeitagoodnight.com/ Subscribe to the Commune Podcast for new episodes every week. This episode was made possible by: Stripes: Visit ⁠stripesbeauty.com⁠ and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off our entire product line. LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at ⁠drinklmnt.com/commune⁠. Stemregen: Get 20% off your first order at stemregen.co/commune with the code COMMUNEPOD Vivobarefoot: Try Vivobarefoot risk-free with a 100-day return guarantee, and get 25% off your order at ⁠vivobarefoot.com/commune⁠. CocoaVia: Use code COMMUNE2026 for 25% off at CocoaVia.com ABOUT THE COMMUNE PODCAST Hosted by Jeff Krasno, the Commune podcast features thoughtful conversations for modern times. Not always comfortable but definitely needed, we explore both humanity and our human-ness. How can we live healthy, purpose-filled lives and be in service of something bigger? Guests include spiritual teachers, poets, scientists, philosophers, and activists for food sustainability, functional medicine, mental and physical health, and collective healing. LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Substack: https://jeffkrasno.substack.com/s/the... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1wdHmpa... Clips Channel:    / @jeffkrasnoclips   CONNECT WITH JEFF & COMMUNE Website: https://onecommune.com Instagram: @jeffkrasno and @onecommune Facebook: @jeffkrasno and @onecommune Substack: https://jeffkrasno.substack.com NEW TO COMMUNE? Hi, I’m Jeff Krasno. I’m the co-founder of Commune, host of the Commune Podcast, writer, dad, and seeker of community and connection. At Commune we explore health, spirituality, purpose, and culture with some of the world’s great teachers and thinkers. If you’d like to nourish your mind, body, and spirit with daily video lessons and practices that help you live well, explore Commune’s library of 100 wellness courses from the world’s top teachers with a 14-day FREE trial: 👉 https://www.onecommune.com/trycommune Episode Cheat Sheet: 00:00:00 Jeff congratulates Ben on launching “Good Night with Ben Gleib” 00:01:00 The biohacker or bioslacker game begins 00:09:00 Cryotherapy or crying in therapy leads into the Wim Hof cold plunge story 00:20:00 Building “Good Night” as a fully self funded startup 00:21:00 Why Ben chose YouTube over a network amid FCC pressure on late night 00:33:00 Community building through Nowhere Comedy, the video wall audience, and fan memorials 00:41:00 Comedy, censorship, and staying politically balanced in the monologue 00:50:00 Whether great comedy can actually be taught 00:58:00 Laughter as medicine and the science behind it 01:05:00 Owning mistakes on stage and Ben’s long term vision for the show