# Sam Tripoli
**Sam Tripoli** (born 1973) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, producer, host, and podcaster known for a high-energy stage style, for his long association with [The Comedy Store](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-comedy-store) in Hollywood, and for hosting the conspiracy-focused podcast *Tin Foil Hat With Sam Tripoli*.[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) • [2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/sam-tripoli.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, United States; Armenian heritage[2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/sam-tripoli.html) |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 1997[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) |
| Start in comedy | Began performing stand-up in Las Vegas on a dare; co-founded the improv troupe the Mutiny[3](https://www.standup.com.au/comedian/sam-tripoli/) |
| Comedy albums | *Crimefighter*, *Believe in Yourself*, *The Diabolical* (2017, two discs), *Zero F*cks*, *Armogeddon*[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) • [4](https://www.milwaukeecomedy.com/2017/03/diabolical-new-album/) |
| Television | Comedy Central's *Premium Blend*, *The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn*, *Comics Unleashed*, Showtime, and co-host of Spike TV's *Wide World of Spike*[3](https://www.standup.com.au/comedian/sam-tripoli/) • [1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) |
| Main podcasts | *Punch Drunk Sports* (with Jayson Thibault and Ari Shaffir) and *Tin Foil Hat* (since 2016), which spun off seven additional shows[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) |
| Politics | Self-described libertarian; interviewed by Reason in 2011 about political correctness and Ron Paul[5](https://reason.com/video/2011/03/29/comedian-sam-tripoli-on-politi/) |
## Early life and start in comedy
Tripoli grew up in Cortland, New York, and moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV, graduating with a degree in psychology in 1997.[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) He began doing stand-up one night on a dare.[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) Within a year he had helped jumpstart the local scene as a founding member of the Mutiny, an improv troupe that performed in a number of casinos, and he hosted his own weekly comedy show on the Vegas strip.[3](https://www.standup.com.au/comedian/sam-tripoli/)
**Move to Los Angeles.** In 2000 Tripoli moved to Los Angeles and began working the door at The Comedy Store.[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) • [2](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/sam-tripoli.html) His break there came through the club's owner, [Mitzi Shore](https://www.edgepedia.org/mitzi-shore), who staged a Middle Eastern themed show called "Arabian Knights"; Tripoli's Armenian heritage got him on the bill.[6](https://www.hooked-entertainment.com/events/hooked-entertainment-comedy-series-sam-tripoli) According to a Comedy Store history, he received "Paid Regular" status because of that show, which took place six months before the [September 11 attacks](https://www.edgepedia.org/september-11-attacks).[7](https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/history/_internal/_documents/clio/editions/clio-2020.pdf) A booking profile states he was one of two comedians at the club to do their first set as a paid regular in the Main Room, the other being [Roseanne Barr](https://www.edgepedia.org/roseanne-barr).[6](https://www.hooked-entertainment.com/events/hooked-entertainment-comedy-series-sam-tripoli)
## Stand-up career
Tripoli is a regular performer at The Comedy Store in Hollywood and tours as a headliner in the United States and internationally.[4](https://www.milwaukeecomedy.com/2017/03/diabolical-new-album/) • [1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) In 2011, Reason described him as a national headliner who ran the Naughty Comedy Show at the Hollywood Improv and hosted the Naughty Show Podcast.[5](https://reason.com/video/2011/03/29/comedian-sam-tripoli-on-politi/) He was also a producer of The Naughty Show at [Planet Hollywood](https://www.edgepedia.org/planet-hollywood) in Las Vegas.[4](https://www.milwaukeecomedy.com/2017/03/diabolical-new-album/)
His recorded albums include *Crimefighter*, whose title became a running theme in his performances, *Believe in Yourself*, *Zero F*cks*, and *Armogeddon*.[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2293462/bio/) • [1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) The 2017 release *The Diabolical* was a two-disc album recorded at the [Punchline](https://www.edgepedia.org/punchline) in Sacramento: the first disc of storytelling material and the second, titled "Friday Night Late Show", an hour of him battling drunken hecklers.[4](https://www.milwaukeecomedy.com/2017/03/diabolical-new-album/)
He toured with The Monsters of Comedy and Rock Stars of Comedy, and took part in a USO tour of Afghanistan organized by [Vince Vaughn](https://www.edgepedia.org/vince-vaughn).[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) He appears in the stand-up documentary *Dying Laughing* alongside [Jerry Seinfeld](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-seinfeld), Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, and [Garry Shandling](https://www.edgepedia.org/garry-shandling).[9](https://samtripoli.com/)
## Television
Tripoli's television credits include [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central)'s *Premium Blend*, on which a booking profile says he received one of only two standing ovations in the show's history, *The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn*, *Comics Unleashed*, Showtime, *Mysteries Decoded*, and [Craig Ferguson](https://www.edgepedia.org/craig-ferguson)'s program.[3](https://www.standup.com.au/comedian/sam-tripoli/) • [1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) In 2006, fellow comedian [Steve Byrne](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-byrne) brought him to an audition for Spike TV, which led to his co-hosting *Wide World of Spike*.[6](https://www.hooked-entertainment.com/events/hooked-entertainment-comedy-series-sam-tripoli) • [1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/)
## Podcasting
Podcasting is the center of Tripoli's current output. He started *Punch Drunk Sports* with his Comedy Store colleagues Jayson Thibault and [Ari Shaffir](https://www.edgepedia.org/ari-shaffir).[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) Since 2016 he has hosted *Tin Foil Hat*, a conspiracy-theory podcast that, by his website's account, gave way to seven additional shows: *Broken Simulation*, *Cash Daddies*, *Conspiracy Now*, the TFH Patreon, *Zero*, *The Greatest of All Time*, and *Conspiracy Social Club* with [Bryan Callen](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryan-callen).[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) His Linktree additionally lists *AKA Deep Waters* with Dylan Wrenn and *Doom Scrollin'* with Midnight Mike.[10](https://linktr.ee/samtripoli) • [11](https://muckrack.com/sam-tripoli)
He has been a recurring guest on *The Joe Rogan Experience*; the Apple TV profile counts eight appearances.[1](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/) • [12](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/sam-tripoli/umc.cpc.1meacjfsevps0rmuup4idw14n)
## Public positions
In a 2011 Reason interview, Tripoli described himself as a libertarian, said he supported [Ron Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/ron-paul), and argued that in Los Angeles "opinions hurt your career", criticizing political correctness in comedy.[5](https://reason.com/video/2011/03/29/comedian-sam-tripoli-on-politi/) In a 2023 Blaze Media interview he argued that cancel culture "was never real", saying that corporations, prompted by coordinated social-media campaigns, created the illusion that a small group of critics was powerful by dropping individuals before a debate could happen.[13](https://www.theblaze.com/news/war-against-the-dumb-samtripoli)
## References
1. [Sam Tripoli Comedy, SamTripoli.com](https://samtripoli.com/sam-tripoli-comedy/)
2. [Sam Tripoli, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/sam-tripoli.html)
3. [Sam Tripoli, The Sit Down Comedy Club](https://www.standup.com.au/comedian/sam-tripoli/)
4. [A Diabolical New Album!, Milwaukee Comedy (2017)](https://www.milwaukeecomedy.com/2017/03/diabolical-new-album/)
5. [Are Dems More Thin-Skinned than Reps? Comedian Sam Tripoli on PC, Ron Paul, and Naughtiness, Reason (2011)](https://reason.com/video/2011/03/29/comedian-sam-tripoli-on-politi/)
6. [Hooked Entertainment Comedy Series - Sam Tripoli](https://www.hooked-entertainment.com/events/hooked-entertainment-comedy-series-sam-tripoli)
7. [Clio 2020, CSU Sacramento History Department (Comedy Store history)](https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/history/_internal/_documents/clio/editions/clio-2020.pdf)
8. [Sam Tripoli Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2293462/bio/)
9. [SamTripoli.com, The Official Website of Sam Tripoli](https://samtripoli.com/)
10. [samtripoli, Linktree](https://linktr.ee/samtripoli)
11. [Sam Tripoli, Muck Rack](https://muckrack.com/sam-tripoli)
12. [Sam Tripoli Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/sam-tripoli/umc.cpc.1meacjfsevps0rmuup4idw14n)
13. ['The war against the dumb': Comedian Sam Tripoli says cancel culture was never real, Blaze Media (2023)](https://www.theblaze.com/news/war-against-the-dumb-samtripoli)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1970–1979*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license