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Kate Berlant's HBO special 'Parmesan' is out; a comic's phone…
Kate Berlant's hour-long HBO special, out October sixteenth, follows her slapstick yearning for life before cellphones and the hyper-niche habits of being online; she is not putting it down.
On air: Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield on The Five O'ClockPublished
At a glance
- First reported by Variety: “Kate Berlant on Her HBO Special ‘Parmesan,’ the Joke That Made a Man Flip Her Off and Her Next Project With John Early”.
- Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 5:17 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Chip Darnell and Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: HBO, Princess Kate.
- BBN covered this story before: Lena Dunham's Girls to return for limited HBO run (October 14).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorComedian Kate Berlant has a new HBO special called Parmesan, out today, and it's about her addiction to her phone, not cheese.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentI watched it on my phone, in bed, with the brightness all the way down.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIn bed. On a phone. For a special about phones.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt's called immersive. She yearns for a time before cellphones, and I yearned right along with her through a six-inch screen.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorShe also tells a joke that made a man flip her off, and that's the part I'd want to see live, in a room, with a bad sound system.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFilmed it, though?
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo what's the special actually about, Kenji?
The story so far
- HBO Orders Two Seasons of 'Merrick & Treves' From Archer Alums · Variety
- HBO brings back Girls with most of the original cast · Deadline
- Screen Junkies releases Honest Trailer for HBO's Lanterns · YouTube (Screen Junkies)
- James McAvoy recalls being bullied on Band of Brothers set · Deadline
- Girls Returns to HBO with Lena Dunham, Original Cast: All the Details · E! News
- Lena Dunham's Girls to return for limited HBO run · BBC
- Kate Berlant's HBO special 'Parmesan' is out; a comic's phone… (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 16, 2026 · the Pop Culture archive · all months
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