David A. Arnold sits down with me to talk about his fatherhood journey. He shares some of the values he looks to instill into his daughters as they grow up. In addition we talk about the importance of loading the dishwasher properly. After that we talk about his new comedy special on Netflix called It Ain’t For The Weak.We also talk about his creative process. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.
Comedian David A. Arnold joins the Rich Eisen Show in-studio where he laments the heartbreak and frustration that comes with being a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, offers up some hilarious parenting advice to Rich with his kids fast approaching their teen years, and says how he’s reacting to his wife elbowing in on his popularity.
Comedian David A. Arnold Talks Netflix Special, Browns Misery & More w Rich Eisen | Full Interview
BRAND NEW: Kevin is back and joined by comedian, writer, and actor, David A. Arnold on Comedy Gold Minds this week. The pair talk all things comedy including developing and selling a show together at Hulu, being told he wasn’t marketable by BET, why timing is everything in the entertainment industry, and his new Netflix special “David A. Arnold: It Ain’t for the Weak”.
By Ryan Tuchow
September 7, 2021
Stand-up comedian David A. Arnold may have traded in his mic for a pen when he created Nickelodeon’s upcoming comedy That Girl Lay Lay, but he didn’t stray too far from his roots, infusing the series with plenty of humor centered on family, which he considers his comedy signature.
Arnold serves as an executive producer and showrunner on the live-action Nickelodeon show that’s set to premiere on September 23. That Girl Lay Lay (13 x 24 minutes) centers around teenager Sadie, who discovers an avatar from a motivational app that comes to life and helps her learn to be more confident.
Arnold was working as a writer and supervising producer on Nickelodeon series Side Hustle when he learned that the studio was looking for someone to pitch a series starring young rapper and social media star That Girl Lay Lay. Armed with a one-sentence summary of the general direction for the show (“Weird Science meets Young Frankenstein when a teenage wiz kid creates her own best friend”), he went to work.
To create the concept, Arnold wove in his own kids’ love of their phones, the struggles that parents have as children grow up, and played on the comedy around how different the exuberant Lay Lay is from the meek protagonist Sadie.
“I wanted to balance the drama with the humor,” says Arnold. “So while the show features some fantastical elements, it is really about how vulnerable teenagers feel at that stage in their lives.”
To make sure what he was writing was funny, he posted clips from his comedy routine and content featuring his family on his Facebook page to see how people reacted to the various bits, giving him valuable insights into what audiences might find funny on the series.
Arnold also dug deep into his stand-up roots, pulling jokes from the series scripts to turn into a routine for LA comedy clubs. Preforming for an adult audience ultimately gave him a better understanding of what would resonate with families tuning into the show, he says.
A comedian who has done stand-up for 27 years, Arnold often touches on mature topics like sex, race and divorce to fuel for his routines. But from his early days performing on Def Comedy Jam, Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapoalooza and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, up to his 2020 Netflix comedy special Fat Ballerina, the core of his comedy has always revolved around families.
After a number of years on the stand-up circuit, he expanded into narrative storytelling in 2004 with the short film Because My Stand-Up Is Not Enough!! He later landed a gig writing on comedy show The Tony Rock Project, where he met producer Anthony Hill (Raven’s Home), who asked Arnold to write for Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns in 2009. Arnold has since had credits on series including House of Payne, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Bigger and Fuller House.
While That Girl Lay Lay hasn’t launched yet, Arnold is hopeful that Nickelodeon will order a second season, and he’s in conversations about additional episodes now.
In the meantime, he’s lined up an 18-city stand-up tour called “It Ain’t For the Weak,” which will culminate in a Netflix special recorded in his hometown, and he’s working with Opera’s OWN Network to create a show based on his family and social media presence. He’s also in the process of writing a romantic comedy—his dream project as a self-described sucker for sappy stories—to bring to market.
“I’m thankful I’ve been able to play in all these different lanes, and now my fans can see there are more sides to me—not just the me they see at my shows,” he says. “I’m excited for people to see [That Girl Lay Lay], and also for what’s to come.”
Here's your first look at 'That Girl Lay Lay,' coming to @Nickelodeon this fall!
Rushion & David discuss how their mutual connection, Anthony Hill, helped David get his start in the world of television writing & producing. In sharing about their careers as stand comedians. and how they’ve learned to hone their craft over the years, the two detail the beginnings of David’s stand up comedy class, best jokes from his new Netflix special “Fat Balerina”, and what’s next for David.
This show is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, if the title includes the word "Interview" and then a proper name, you can pretty much bet that's exactly what you're going to get. In this day and age, most everything requires a "description." We don't believe in that. Just call us old school. It might also be one of our many special features or bonus shows. Wouldn't a perfect description of it sort of ruins the surprise of releasing a new and special show for you? Or we might just be being completely lazy - you'll never know. We hope that you enjoy the show and thanks, as always, for the love and support! - t&d
YV: You are known for your antics on Instagram and you are hilarious, but not too many people know you are a writer as well. Name some of shows that you have written for.
David: It’s so funny that you say I’m know for my antics on Instagram when actually in this business I am known for being a television writer. I guess it all depends on which medium people get introduced to you first and will be back for which they know you. I have been writing television professionally for 12 years…
Read the rest here YV Magazine March - April Issue 2019
YOUR VOICE Magazine
