The Plop List

Plop of The Week: The Bugle #203

2012-08-13T09:48:55Z

I'm deep in the throes of The Edinburgh Fringe Festival this month but still trying to stay on the podcast beat. Being in Scotland during a U.K.-based Olympics means I got to be surrounded by a light murmur of Olympic Fever. If there was ever a time to turn to John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman for a little dose of Bugle levity, this was the week. Not to mention they deliver the best on-point Olympic satirizing you're liking to find this Summer. Funny is always a little more sharp closer to home. Here's my post for the Splitsider "Week In Comedy Podcasts" column:

It’s Olympics time so it’s necessary to return to the always funny British podcasting duo of John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman, aka The Bugle. Zaltzman has been dutifully churning out short Olympic-themed episodes of late, but episode #203 sees (hears?) Oliver and Zaltzman back together, in the usually clever tip-top satirical form. Oliver jumps right in, jabbing Zaltzman about his severe case of Olympic fever. The two agree on the sociological working theory of the Olympics being created to allow us to ignore human catastrophe. There’s top-notch bashing of the opening ceremony, including some quality Queen mockery. (Always a favorite.) There’s a lot of badminton humor, including an abundance of “shuttlecock” jokes. And there’s talk of horse dancing. Too easy for the Bugle duo, perhaps? Highlights come when the two comedians try to make each other laugh with their descriptive jokes and one-liners. It’s a friendly competition that always raises the humor bar. The prewritten bits by Zaltzman and Oliver always add an extra bit of comedic layering, as well. They even add onto the Olympics BS with some poignant satire of the current Syrian violence and political strife. The jam-packed episode concludes with Oliver recapping the recent Chick-Fil-A/homophobia silliness with a dutiful bit of comedic criticism, complete with an inquisitive bit of rage on where other food chains stand on the important issues. Yet, again The Bugle sounds the alarm for all of us sane and sighing at the world.

Here's the complete list of comedy podcast episode picks from the rest of the Splitsider crew:

A Bit of a Chat with Ken Plume – Armando Iannucci
The Perfect 10 Podcast #2 "The Old, The New, and The Slutty"
Professor Blastoff #64 "Tig's Cancer Diagnosis/Autism"
The Bugle #203 "No Medals for Syria"
The Nerdist #240 – Will Ferrell
You Made It Weird "Live from Montreal" - Eric Andre, Ryan Hamilton, Sean Patton, Jamie Lee, Chelsea Peretti
Roadstories – Moshe Kasher, Kyle Kinane, Matt Braunger

Plop of The Week: You Made It Weird #70

2012-08-06T12:23:31Z

Pete Holmes is getting dangerously close to making it really hard for people to not know him. You know, that perverbial random stranger on the street kind of knowing. And it's going to be fun, a little weird but a lot of fun. Holmes continues to accel at stand-up and all things comedy, including his regular intimate and thoroughly engaging podcast offering, You Made It Weird. Picking an episode with another fellow comedic peer seemed like the right thing to do. Check-out my excerpt from last week's Splitsider "Week In Comedy Podcasts" round-up:

Pete Holmes is on a roll lately with all things comedy: a possible late night TV show in the works, an ascending stand-up career and a soon-to-be podcast institution. You Made It Weird definitely skews into heavy comedy shop talk but it’s usually that good ol’ fashioned soul searching kind. The nitty gritty, the bits and pieces, the stuff that makes anyone give a crap anytime the performer/audience dance is underway. Holmes’ inquisitive nature and honesty really lays the groundwork for his guests to quickly join in on the sharing-is-caring fun. Fellow comedian and off-the-cuff master, Rory Scovel, pushes the limits even in Holmes’ safe place. Scovel starts off messing with Holmes by bringing a guest to the podcast recording, which leads to a fun more challenging back-and-forth for the host. Eventually, Holmes manages to dig into Scovel’s inspired and often free form approach to performing. Beyond his normal riffing hijinks, Scovel’s insightful about his own helter-skelter performing, his recreational activities and his upbringing. It’s a real treat to peak behind Scovel’s devilish antics and see a bit of the passion that sparks his comedy. The episode really soars when the two comedians get into it about how they stay inspired to create and connect.

Here's the complete list of episode picks from the rest of the Splitsider podcast crew:

Totally Laime #130 - Dan Harmon
Penn's Sunday School - Billy West and The Naked TSA Guy
WTF with Marc Maron #300 – Nathan Rabin, Jesse Thorn, Pete Holmes, Andy Kindler
You Made It Weird #70 – Rory Scovel
How Was Your Week #73 - Simon Amstell, Bobcat Goldthwait
Story Worthy #100 – David Koechner
It's That Episode #27 – Eddie Pepitone/My Super Sweet Sixteen
Bullseye with Jesse Thorn – Michael Ian Black, Tom Bissell, Pete Holmes

Honorable mentions from the Splitsider group this past week include The Dana Gould Hour #9 "Mini-KISS and Other Delights," Fitzdog Radio (Artie Lange, Todd Barry), Jordan, Jesse, Go! #234 (Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Gordon), Professor Blastoff #63, Royal & Doodall #34 and The Bryan Callen Show #10 (Mike Callen).

Plop of The Week: Improv On Tape #8.5

2012-07-30T14:29:00Z

Let's get to it. Improv is always a mixed bag for even loyal comedy fans. The excitement is always battling the anxiousness for both performers and audiences alike. It's always a treat to see the thriving comedy format find a new home in podcasting. The Los Angeles based sketch group, Robert Downey Jr. Jr., brings it and then some with their semi-regular improv offering, Improv On Tape, featuring various group members and other comedy friends. Here's my podcast pick write-up for Splitsider's "This Week In Comedy Podcast" column:

Richard Feliciano and his Robert Downey Jr. Jr. improv partners-in-crime really bring it on their improv podcast. This week’s shorter bonus episode is a quick listen, a quality way to jump into a new bit of improv. The Robert Downey Jr. Jr. crew is one of the hardest working Los Angeles improv groups and one of its best. Just like their stage shows, this show is top notch on its production value. It’s also a treat to listen to the group embrace the podcast format, often going for scenes that really fly in the audio-only format. There’s a lighthearted chat session to kick off this episode, followed by the guys rolling through a quick series of YouTube inspired scenes. Don’t miss out on clever and chaotic rewind bit. Along with the only slightly offensive YouTube Town Hall Meeting scene, the David Fincher “YT Network” scene goes off the rails quickly. In the best kind of way. The Fincher craziness transitions into another free flowing series of “captain’s log” entries. The three performers admirably mix in a ton of characters and premises throughout. It’s a crazy listening trip but they keep themes in check and bring skilled improv structure so nobody’s wandering aimlessly into the comedy woods.

The rest of the Splitsider crew offered up a few more new picks and some old favorites:

WTF with Marc Maron #299 – Retta, Brett Weinbach, Ron Funches, Rory Scovel, Jim Earl, Eddie Pepitone
You Made It Weird #68 - Kulap Vilaysack
The Dead Authors Podcast Chapter 9 - Jorge Luis Borges(Nick Kroll)
Improv On Tape #8.5 “YouTube Stars”
The Bugle #201 “Dirty Bankers”
Ten Minute Podcast "Who's The Kid?"
Before You Were Funny #2 - Brian Huskey, Kyle Mooney, Johnny Pemberton, Betsy Sodaro

The honorable mentions this week out from the Splitsider comedy podcast crew featured Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank #69 (Nick Thune), Comedy Bang! Bang! #168 (Bob Odenkirk, Matt Besser), Harmontown # 2: "The Inception of Girlfriends," Offstage with Christian Polanco #76 (Bryson Turner, Part One), Professor Blastoff #62 (Scott Aukerman), The Adam Carolla Show 7/23 (Colin Mochrie, Michelle Branch, & David Wild), The Long Shot #518 “The Gossip & Bob Episode” (Matt Besser), Twisting the Wind with Johnny Pemberton #1 (Danny Holloway & More) and Who Charted? #86 (Nick Kroll).

Plop of The Week: The Longshot #517

2012-07-23T21:41:51Z

Sometimes you play favorites because those shows and people just tend to jump out and get your attention and the laughs forthcoming. And maybe because you're emotionally stunted. And lazy. No matter what I end up self diagnosing myself with, this past week in comedy podcasts was pretty stellar. Thanks in large part to another classic Long Shot mailbag episode and a double helping of young comedian and awesome dude, Jerrod Carmichael, on two different shows. Here's my Splitsider "Week In Comedy Podcasts" recap for my old Long Shot buddies' too funny mail bag episode:

The Long Shot continues to dig in these days. The four co-hosts are as close to a perfect pairing in comedy these days. Especially if you like your pairings with a healthy amount of neurosis and in-fighting. Eddie Pepitone, Jamie Flam, Sean Conroy and Amber Kenny are again at their honest-to-a-fault best in this guestless mailbag episode. The show jumps off to a deliriously fun meta start with the gang analyzing their recent lengthy mention in an all-encompassing AV Club article. It’s fun to listen to Conroy and Pepitone attempt to square away the article’s various shout-outs, particularly to Flam, aka the show’s “deep humanity,” aka “punching bag,” aka “tragic-comic metaphor,” aka “doomed impulse towards self-improvement.” Pepitone’s dismay at not being mentioned more leads to great dueling Pepitone impersonations. Pepitone impersonating Conroy impersonating Pepitone is a treat and classic Long Shot moment. The show does that fairly often – just suddenly breaks into a delirious moment of improvised weirdness and honesty. It’s always a special moment of honest humor, and it’s really what makes The Long Shot not your average chat show. The mailbag segment offers up a bunch more of group self-reflection, including a never-ending stream of Pepitone frustration about his lack of inclusion in many of the letters. Kenny keeps growing in her co-host role, sneaking in a ton of quick hitting observations and taking the guys down a notch. Flam keeps to his “tragic-comic” roots, too. Listeners get a special treat when Conroy acts out a loyal listener’s Long Shot zombie fan fiction letter.

The rest of the Splitisder group offered up another batch of comedy podcast selections:

Comedy Bang! Bang! #167 – Jessica St. Clair, Paul Rust, Jerrod Carmichael
The Comedy Cellar: Live from The Table #20 - Lucas Dick
How Was Your Week #71: "HWYW Live" – Martha Plimpton, Katie Notopoulos, Mike Daisey, Jim Gaffigan
The Long Shot Podcast #517 “The Nephew of Mailbag Episode”
improv4humans #35.5 "Live from DCM Pt. 1"
My Crappy Week with Orny Adams – Eddie Ifft
Doodie Calls with Doug Mand – Phil Lord
You Made It Weird #67 - Jerrod Carmichael

Honorable mentions from the Splitisder group also include Alison Rosen Is Your Friend (Bobcat Goldthwait, Part 1), Pissed Off Man Show with Gavin #30, The Best Show #504 and This Better Be Funny #32 (Katie Crown).

Plop of The Week: Jordan, Jesse, Go! #231

2012-07-16T16:28:34Z

Looks like the supposedly laid back pace of Summer has me on the Jordan, Jesse, Go! tip. One of my favorite people in comedy and podcasting, Vanessa Ragland was the guest on their latest show and fit right in, almost like she's the regular third host. It's the thinking man's silly endeavor listening to an episode of this Maximum Fun show. Check-out my post about the episode for Splitsider's "This Week In Comedy Podcasts" column:

Jordan, Jesse, Go! dynamic duo, Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris rolled out another fun episode this week. They continue to double down on the laid back charm and conversational tangents. Actress, comedian and podcaster in her own right, Vanessa Ragland, joins the guys for a quick moving show that jumps all over the topic map. Ragland’s an easy paring for the show, making her seem almost like a regular co-host of the show. Ragland’s killer skill is being Johnny-on-the-spot with the obnoxious and inappropriate comments at the end of Thorn and Morris’ patented pseudo-stoner theorizing. Thorn throws out another round of baby talk but, as usual, it turns into the best kind of baby talk. A highlight of the show is the groups’ willingness to get on the Magic Mike cultural relevance train and dish out a lengthy discussion on the latest Steven Soderbergh flick. The discussion quickly derails into a dong vs. boner debate and then, again, some quality nonsensical theorizing of what somebody should want from a dong. There’s a whole lot more of where that came from with these three conversational easy riders.

The rest of the Splitsider comedy podcast review team offered up some fun favorite episodes of the week, including Maria Bamford being honest and awesome on The JV Club, plus some new and old classic offerings. Here's the complete list of Splitsider picks:

The Best Show on WFMU #503
Mohr Stories #70 – Marc Maron
Comedy Bang! Bang! #166 – Adam Scott, Harris Wittels, Chelsea Peretti
Jordan, Jesse, Go! #231 – Vanessa Ragland
The JV Club #18 - Maria Bamford
Probably Science #28 – Moshe Kasher

Honorable mentions from the Splitsider crew this week include Sklarbro County # 7 (Matt Braunger, James Adomian), This Feels Terrible # 4 (Jeff Davis), WTF with Marc Maron #295 (JB Smoove) and You Had To Be There #70 (Dave Hill).

Plop of The Week: Doug Loves Movies

2012-07-09T16:18:24Z

The holiday week is no reason to skip over some quality comedy podcast listening time. Another member of the Splitsider comedy podcast crew and I took the opportunity to offer a bit of recodnition for the original "plopper" himself, Doug Benson. With two episode picks making the Splitsider "This Week In Comedy Podcasts" list, Benson receives a little bit of well-deserved internet love for his nonstop content factory. Here's my write-up for his fun recent New York City taping of Doug Loves Movies:

Michael Ian Black, Jason Mantzoukas, Dave Hill, Nikki Glaser The comedy podcast bounty often leads to missing out on some of the classics. (My 2012 low-grade shame.) Doug Loves Movies is one such show that shouldn’t be missed for too long, as it's one of the most consistently fun listens. It's always packed with obnoxious guests ready for the games and heavy riffing. And the special live DLM episodes, not recorded at Los Angeles’ UCB Theatre, often treat listeners with extended games and extended guest dicking around. Black and Hill waste no time getting into a “who’s book is better” argument, which, of course, turns into a stellar smart-ass-off. Mantzoukas stands out amongst the stand-ups with his extended shitting on Prometheus and the creation of his fake jerking-off-during-movies app. Mantzoukas also starts up a classic sweaty, sexy dolphin riff circle with his fellow guests. Benson sneaks in a quality emotional outburst about talking teddy bears. The games eventually get going leading to some semi-serious brainstorming and failed gamesmanship. Bad jokes, obnoxiousness, movie talk and overall inappropriateness abound in this particularly packed episode of Doug Loves Movies.

Along with the Benson double dip, the Splitsider crew picked the latest Superego and a few other interesting episodes:

How Did This Get Made? #40 "Judge Dredd" – Erica Oyama
Doug Loves Movies “Live from the Gramercy Theatre in New York City” – Michael Ian Black, Jason Mantzoukas, Dave Hill, Nikki Glaser
Superego Episode 3:14
Storyworthy - Blaine Capatch
The Benson Interruption # 17 "Live at the Del Close Marathon" - Matt Besser, Megan Beuringer, Matt Walsh, Rory Scovel

The Splitsider crew rolled out a few quality Honorable Mentions this week, including Fitzdog Radio (Jay Mohr), Guys With Feelings #114 (Lena Dunham), The Champs (Retta), The Long Shot #515 (Graham Elwood) and Two Charted? #21.

Plop of The Week: Jordan, Jesse, GO! #229

2012-07-02T21:09:26Z

The main Maximum Fun podcast duo of Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris brought in a ringer this week. Fellow podcasting champ in his own right, Jimmy Pardo (Never Not Funny) joined the guys for another fun outing of this usually loose and riff heavy Jordan, Jesse, GO! Thorn and Morris always attack their topics and interviews from different angles, always tip-toeing the randomness with both a psuedo-stoner theorizing and gleefuly intellectual curiosity. Passing along my recap for the episode for Splitsider's "Week In Comedy Podcasts" round-up:

Ever the glutton for self-punishment, Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris put up “nightmares” for the latest Jordan, Jesse, Go! episode. Comedian Jimmy Pardo guests and alternates with his go-along charm and playful fake ire. The guys keep things loose, letting the topics change effortlessly. Thorn gets things off to a fascinating start with his brain Botox plans. They invent an already classic new product on the spot – “the broaster.” They also get into it about frat boy villains. Listeners are treated to another round of Jesse Thorn’s ongoing grammar torment. Jordan Morris is always ready to start some healthy brainstorming and Thorn and Pardo are game to play along. The crew breaks off into a stupid snack conversation. Listening in to three of podcasts’ most effortless conversationalists and funny men is proves why Jordan, Jesse, Go! continues to be a shiny example of the intimacy of the medium.

The Dana Gould Hour makes another episode, which means another apperance on the Splitsider list. Check-out the other picks from the group this week out:

Comedy Bang! Bang! #164 - Tony Clifton, Ben Schwartz
Jim Florentine's Comedy Metal Midgets: Jim Reviews the Movie Rock of Ages
Doug Loves Movies – Jeff Garlin, T.J. Miller, Pete Holmes
Jordan, Jesse, Go! #229 – Jimmy Pardo
Probably Science #26 – Guest Bil Dwyer
The Dana Gould Hour #8 – "Summer Testacular"

Honorable mentions from the Splitsider crew this week include Dork Forest #124 (Dennis Blair), How Was Your Week #68 (Jessi Klein, Tavi Gevinson), Left Handed Radio #17, Sklarbro Country #100 (Fred Armisen, James Adomian), Ten Minute Podcast "Hateful Messages," This Better Be Funny #29 (Justin Ian Daniels), The Champs (Charlie Murphy) and Who Charted? #82 (T.J. Miller).

Plop of The Week: Judge John Hodgman #64

2012-06-26T16:57:19Z

John Hodgman helps us all get to know the fun of spoilers, our current national cultural nightmare. His latest episode of Judge John Hodgman tackles the great "spoiler" issue of our times. Plus, listeners get a whole of Hodgman-Breaking Bad bits. Here's my write-up for Splitsider's "Week In Comedy Podcast" post from last week:

The always silly but never not proper, Judge John Hodgman tackles a topic of our times this past week with a spoiler-centric episode. Plus, we get a healthy amount of Breaking Bad references. John Hodgman delightfully turns the proceedings into a mash-up discussion of pop culture references and a deep-seeded character study of the spoiler and spoil-ee. The debate centers around a roommate supposedly spoiling Breaking Bad. Adam and Andrew, the fake podcast plaintiff and defendant, make several attempts at bringing humor themselves. At each turn Hodgman’s ready with a healthy amount of fake ire. Another fun bit of business is Hodgman repeatedly throwing out obviously false Breaking Bad spoilers along with a few real spoilers. Despite all the fun, the group still squeaks out a bit of serious academic analysis on the idea of spoilers. Hodgman’s smatry-pants comedy persona and on-the-fly riffing skills make this lighthearted courtroom satire always a quick listening treat.

Here's the complete list of episode picks from last week's Splitsider round-up, full of new favorites and some current heavy hitters on the comedy podcast front:

The Best Show on WFMU #501
Doug Loves Movies – Neal Brennan, Seth Herzog, and Megan Neuringer
You Made it Weird #59 "Live from Chicago"
Judge John Hodgman #64 “A Quashed Plot Never Spoils”
Making It with Riki Lindhome #48 - Shannon Woodward
The Funny Indian Show #99 – Jordan Berman
Kevin Pollak Chat Show #150 – Dan Harmon
It’s That Episode #21 – Matt Besser / Teen Mom

Last week's honorable mentions include Fitzdog Radio (Michael Ian Black), The Long Shot #513 (Jessica St. Clair), Totally Laime #124 (T.J. Miller) and Who Charted? #81 (Eric Andre).

Plop of The Week: Sklarbro Country #98

2012-06-15T17:16:26Z

A few current prolific comedians joined forces this past week for some fun podcastery (made-up work alert!). The way-out-there but always working, Reggie Watts, brought his brand of comedic magic to the calming shores of Sklarbro Country. The hard working duo in their own right, Randy and Jason Sklar, create an excellent messing around space for guests and having Watts in the fold was a fun experiment. Here are a few more thoughts about Sklarbro Country #98 for Splitsider's "This Week In Comedy Podcasts" post:

Worlds collide with the latest Sklarbro Country episode when musical comedy genius, Reggie Watts, visits the hardest working comedy duo. Before Watts checks in, The Sklar Brothers show off their bounty of “week-of” sports jokes. Showing off their topical range, they manage to sneak in a great Sklarbrotration segment dissing Lil’ Wayne, complete with a Hatfield and McCoy reference. Once Watts steps in, the show really gets going with a steady stream of riffing. Watts is a natural partner-in-crime for the brothers. They kick-start it with several minutes of overanalyzing Watts’ infamous golf sweater. The Sklars make the sports connection with Watts through a fun sports anthem discussion. They explore the process of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army becoming a sports anthem. Then Watts gives it a try himself, creating a brand new haphazard Dodgers’ anthem. Other gems include a highly inappropriate but hilarious brainstorming session about Native American restaurants and Y2K Museums. Plus, there’s another quality appearance by Tiger Woods (the always on point Chris Cox). There’s a lot packed into the episode, the only way the brothers know how to operate. The Sklars continue to show why they’re the masters of fun with the ability to bring anyone into the sports fold and their awesome house of riffing.

Here are the rest of the Splitsider crews' picks for the week. I'm happy another seemingly oddball pairing of Bills Simmons and Lena Dunham made the list (nice one, Samantha!):

WTF with Marc Maron #287 – Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, John Ennis, Josie Long, Neal Brennan
Ari Shaffir's Skeptic Tank #62 "L.A. Story" – Steve Rannazzisi, Cort McCown
Comedy Bang! Bang! #162 – Andy Samberg, Adam Pally
Sklarbro Country #98 – Reggie Watts and Chris Cox
My Brother, My Brother and Me #108
Proudly Resents "Shakes the Clown" – Bobcat Goldthwait
The Best Show on WFMU #500 - John Hodgman, Ted Leo, Julie Klausner, Sam Seder, Jason Woliner
The B.S. Report – Lena Dunham

Honorable mentions from the Splitsider crew this week include Mike and Tom Eat Snacks #60, Walking The Room #107 (Jake Johannsen), The Champs (Trevor Noah) and WTF with Marc Maron #268 (Kurt Braunohler).

Plop of The Week: Superego #3:13

2012-06-12T01:42:08Z

Last week's Splitsider duties, picking an episode from the comedy podcast bounty, was a simple choice. Beginning of the month usually means it's time to dive head first into screwball fun with the release of the newest Superego. This month, the "doctors" offered up another offbeat dose of fun. Here's my write-up for Jesse Fox's Splitsider "This Week In Comedy Podcasts" post:

The futuristic and retro, all-at-once, audio sketch show delivers another absurd episode, bursting at the seams from an abundance of silly situations and insane non sequiturs. Superego 3:13 is another quick-hitting example of inspired comedy. The guys treat us to another "Star Wars Squadron" radio talk clusterfuck. During the stream of Star Wars riffing, there’s another dead-on Alec Guinness impersonation with an obnoxious guest appearance by Obi-Wan’s needy and instructional ghost. The night out with Shunt McGuffin and Herve Villechaize is an overload of inappropriateness. The Buffrum’s Fragrance Counter ladies show up again, staying oblivious and gleefully rude to all customers. Another bit of inspired comedy is born from the Leffingwell Grocers grocery store announcement speaker system. The Superego guys find another great audio-specific setting for streaming more absurd characters to your brain. Bonus points for the pop music interludes during the grocery store announcements. The unofficial Superego team member at this point, Paul F. Tompkins, continues to be one of the most versatile performers in comedy. Superego is always an open house for great performers. In addition to Tompkins, this month's guests include Andy Richter, Gillian Jacobs, Erinn Hayes, Chris Tallman, James Bladon, Craig Cackowski, Mark Gagliardi, Nick Ciarelli and Amanda Lund. Again, Superego, is on its own planet comedy-wise and continues to outshine its modest podcasting roots. It’s short but packed with great comedic work. Few projects consistently deliver like this obnoxious and inspired bit of gold. Go Superego Go.

The rest of the Splitsider crew showed some love for an ecclectic mix of shows. Here's the complete list:

Risk! #329 – Kurt Braunohler
Big O and Dukes "Summer Brew Preview"
improv4humans #29 – Adam McKay, Chris Gethard
Superego 3:13
Chillpak Hollywood Hour #264 – French Stewart
Making It With Riki Lindhome #46 - Robert Ben Garant
Podcast on a Plane (“a co-production of Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank and The Joe Rogan Experience”)

The Splitsider group chose the following episodes as honorable mentions this week out: Comedy Bang! Bang! #161 (Reggie Watts, Tim Heidecker, Andy Daly, Jon Daly), Dream Tweet – Jimmy Pardo vs. Kimmy Gatewood, How Was Your Week? #65 (Eddie Pepitone, Paula Pell), The Marc and Tom Show #2 and You Made It Weird #55 (Jenny Slate).

Plop of The Week: Weird Adults With Little Esther #3

2012-06-01T15:27:42Z

It often seems comedy podast fandom breakds down into two camps: an all-in unconditional fanboy devotion to favorite shows OR a purposeful quest to discover new comedy podcasts on a continual basis. Both seem to be equally obnoxious in that my cultural consumption tastes can beat up your cultural consumption tastes kind of way. While the purpose of this ol' site hopefully finds a middle ground, life often dictates going back to the ol' favorites in lieu of foraging into new comedy ground. The new podcast collective, Feral Audio, luckily recently let loose rising comedic talent, Little Esther, on the internet. It's been a treat to hear a new distinct voice in comedy podcasting. So, there's one new show. Have at it, guys. Check-out my excerpt for Little Esther's recent Weird Adults episode for the Splitsider "Week In Comedy Podcasts" round-up:

Comedian and all-around troublemaker Esther Povitsky, aka Little Esther, recently started yet another hangout session podcast on the newly formed podcast collective, Feral Audio. Her Weird Adults show puts Little Esther at the center of her own 1-woman exploratory committee with friends and fellow comedians to discover the reasons for their own weirdness. Definitive answers aren’t always discovered, unless you count Little Esther’s constant and fun stream of neurosis, sharp sarcasm and infectious laughter. Just a few episodes, she’s already off to a strong start, letting the honesty and weirdness flow freely. The show switches back and forth between half-hearted probing questions on her guests supposedly weird traits and sarcastic tangents with her guests. The strong-jawed comedian and seemingly normal Michael Kosta stops by for a visit, and the push-pull of personalities during the interview is quite a treat. Throughout, Kosta, also the co-star of one of Little Esther’s web videos (http://youtu.be/TZDokdxXGj4) fights off claims of weirdness. They spend a lot of time analyzing the details of Kosta’s “normal” life and his apartment, where they recorded the show. It never stops being stupidly playful but some real honest stories sneak out and that’s the fun. Little Esther has a knack for creating a laid back space that gets rid of the pretense. She never stops having fun either. This makes for a fun listen. It’s going to be great to listen as Weird Adults continues to develop, while Little Esther keeps prodding her guests into obnoxious conversational corners. Little Esther’s an easy fit for podcasting, sharing her unique comedic voice and weirdness with the masses.

It seems like lately the Splitsider comedy podcast group is really hitting the ol' variety thing, of late. Check-out the complete list of our episode picks this week:

Sklarbro Country "Sklarbro County #1"
SModcast #212: "All You Can Eat"
On Cinema #35 "Krippendorf's Tribe"
Weird Adults With Little Esther #3 – Michael Kosta
The Ronna & Beverly Podcast #27- Connie Britton
Fitzdog Radio – Steven Wright
How Was Your Week #64 – Retta, Patton Oswalt
Last Week on Earth with Ben Gleib #28 – Tony Clifton

The Splitsider crew went all in on the honarable mentions this week with nods to Dylan Brody’s Neighbor’s Couch "Chris Bonno Redux," Gelmania VIII, The Dana Gould Hour #7 “Shame In The Saddle,” This Has Been A Disaster #8 "Matt Besser," The Joe Rogan Experience #220 (Bert Kreischer), The Long Shot #511 “The I Don’t Want to Feel My Feelings Episode” (Jen Kirkman), Totally Laime #121 (Luka Jones) and Who Charted #78 (Paul F. Tompkins).

Plop of The Week: Girl on Guy with Aisha Tyler #48

2012-05-29T05:43:08Z

Sometimes it's okay to go with the heavy hitters when dialing in your comedy podcast picks. The big names sometimes prove why they have large followings and noteriety. A big personality often lends itself well to the digital landscape with charimsa and strong opinions making for an easy engaging listening experience. Comedian and TV personality, Aisha Tyler, has been running her do-it-yourself interview show for almost a year now and has built quite a large and diverse guest list. The show has many faces, depending on the guest background. I picked Tyler's Girl On Guy Anthony Bourdain episode this week for the Splitsider "Week In Comedy" round-up. Bourdain is an easy match for Tyler's laid back but big-time personalty. Check-out my thoughts here:

I’m not above a little fandom cult of personality BS in my podcast intake. In fact it’s rather enjoyable when you happen upon the right kind of personality pairing. Vagabond author and television food host, Anthony Bourdain, jumps in on Aisha Tyler’s Girl On Guy free-flowing interview show. It’s an easy episode pick with two of my favorite bold personalities trading passionate anecdotes and theories. In addition to her various comedic endeavors, Tyler always brings keeps things high energy and loose but still very passionate on the show. It’s an easy conversation with Bourdain from the get-go. Topics keep dancing along various kitchen/food topics and tropes. They also throw in discussions about obscure movies, FX’s Archer, Ted Nugent, Rocky Balboa and a bunch more. Bourdain also adds some great nitty-gritty kitchen, food and travel stories. The tone is jointly aggressive, both Tyler and Bourdain teaming up on all encountered topics. It’s not always pure comedy. Comedy becomes an even broader term with podcasts these days. Tyler’s Girl On Guy is another example of this widening scope. “Fun” can count as “funny” – we’ll all be okay getting less strict. A little more loose. All while trying to give a shit about something. Tyler and Bourdain can help lead the way.

Here's the complete list of comedy episodes from the rest of the Splitsider group:

WTF with Marc Maron #280 - Danny McBride
Mohr Stories #54 – Barry Katz
This American Life #464: "Invisible Made Visible" – Ryan Knighton, Tig Notaro, David Rakoff, David Sedaris
Girl on Guy with Aisha Tyler #48 - Anthony Bourdain
Who Charted? #77- Pete Holmes
Lovitz & Slayton
Gelmania VII - Scott Aukerman, Curtis Gwinn
Improv Obsession #18 – Alex Fernie

The Splitsider group offered up a large group of honorable mentions last week including How Was Your Week? #63 (Curtis Gwinn, Choire Sicha), improv4humans #27 (Neil Campbell, Mike Mitchell, Paul Rust), Mike & Tom Eat Snacks #59, Pop My Culture #80 (Ken Marino) Sklarboro Country #95 (Rich Eisen, Dan Van Kirk), This Better Be Funny #24 (Jerrod Carmichael), Thrilling Adventure Hour #72 "Beyond Belief, 'Goatbusters'" (Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Mark Gagliardi, Matt Gourley, Gillian Jacobs, and Natalie Morales), Weird Adults with Little Esther #2 (Jonathan Daniel Brown) You Made It Weird #51 (Kurt Braunohler) and You Had To Be There #64 (Megan Ganz).

Plop of The Week: The Long Shot #509

2012-05-21T14:04:12Z

Another week. Another onslaught of new comedy podcast episodes. Another great episode of The Long Shot. I'm fully in the tank for The Long Shot's ragtag foursome. Episode #509 is a particular thrill because it reveals new group dynamics and points of entry for the funny. Here's my recap for the Splitsider "Week In Comedy Podcasts" post:

The Long Shot Episode #509 seamlessly switches gears throughout – from some healthy behind-the-scenes live comedy talk to hilariously mundane and personal anecdotes. One of the show’s key winning elements is its four distinctly different hosts’ interplay. That’s always been true in a basic sense, but this week’s episode was a revelation on how much more laughs The Long Shot can squeeze out of their group dynamic. The hosts, Sean Conroy, Amber Kenny, Jamie Flam and Eddie Pepitone, create a crazy fun grab bag of honest recaps, on-the-spot sketch work, agitated and meandering storytelling and the holy grail of top-notch fucking-with-each-other hijinks. Their guest, comedian Zach Sherwin, superbly tags a few of the “checking in” stories and manages to keep adding to the fun. The episode is pretty dense in terms of its specifically silly moments worthy of highlight. There’s the comes-too-easy image of Flam working as senile Pepitone’s elderly caretaker. Pepitone’s doctor visit recap leads to the creation of poor old Mrs. Timonarro forever sitting in life’s proverbially waiting room. Pepitone also creates a firestorm of laughter with his unintentionally ridiculous and meandering recap of War Horse. Kenny is on Pepitone’s case throughout. It’s a delight to see the show’s ray of sunshine take repeated aim at Pepitone’s winning combo of boldness and confusion. Conroy remains on top of his host game. His feisty demeanor from past episodes is still there, adding yet another layer to the awesome group dynamic. And, yes, they all find yet another way to torment Flam with repeated mocking call backs. Phew. It’s a true Long Shot classic – a grand reward for both long time and first time listeners.

The rest of the Splitsider comedy podcast crew gave shout-outs to a quality crop of episodes/shows this week, including a stellar debut episode of the new show from Long Shot host, Sean Conroy. Check it out:

International Waters #3 - Andy Daly, Erin Gibson, Humphrey Kerr, Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank - Ralphie May (Part 1)
improv4humans #26 – Jon Glaser, Brett Gelman, Joe Wengert
The Long Shot #509 “The Eddie’s Said Too Much Episode" – Zach Sherwin
The J.V. Club #10 – Jen Kirkman
The Nerdist #206 – Tina Fey
Sean Conroy Presents: The Flabbergast #1 – The Crazy Dance

Honorable mentions include Comedy Bang! Bang! #158 (Jordan Peele, Gillian Jacobs), Improv Obsession #17 (Billy Merritt), Left Handed Radio #16 (Rue Britannia), Sklarbro Country #94 (Jon Hamm) and You Made It Weird #49 (Bo Burnham).

Plop of The Week: The Bugle #193

2012-05-11T15:41:23Z

The Splitsider comedy podcast crew offered up an ecclectic mix of shows this week in the "This Week In Comedy Podcasts" column. It's always great to highlight the mix of perspectives and comedic approaches in the comedy podcast realm. My pick celebrated the full-force anger and satire approach of The Bugle. Sure, there's not a shortage of angry comedians ranting on comedy podcasts (or stages for that matter). Few comedians have the knack or the willigness to bottle up their natural anger and share it as biting political and cultural satire. The Bugle hosts, comedians John Oliver and Andy Zaltman are masters of satire. Catching any given week/episode is another opportunity to indulge in good ol' fashion burn 'em all satirical skewering. Here's my write-up for the Splitsider post:

It’s a Presidential election year, which means paying attention is like taking a daily punch in the face. Lucky for me, I have The Bugle, the best stupidity antidote – especially for these politically inane times. John Oliver and Andy Zaltman continue to push ahead with the quality riffing, even while recording the show from different continents. This week out, Oliver provides a bit of behind the scenes Daily Show insight with some fun George Clinton (The Funk) anecdotes. The guys quickly dive head first into the best Bin Laden Assassination Anniversary comedy workshop, lambasting the greeting card industry, Bin Laden’s excesses and anyone making political hay from the Bin Laden assassination. The Bugle is the best kind of angry humor – nothing is sacred. The freedom Oliver and Zaltman exercise allows the funny to walk the yard, freely picking fights with whoever’s unlucky enough to make eye contact. Oliver and Zaltman get a lot out of the released Bin Laden documents. Zaltman even sneaks in a bit of sketch humor with an overly honest Bin Laden final recording. Pretty sure the intellectually devoid election year politics are going to keep handing out daily face punches. Thankfully, we have The Bugle to help fight back.

Here's the complete list of episode picks from the Splitsider crew:

The Long Shot #508 – Matt Knudsen
Making It with Riki Lindhome #42 – Pete Holmes (Part 1)
Doug Loves Movies – Paul F. Tompkins, Ice-T, Cake Boss
The Bugle #193 "Happy Deathiversary!"
My Brother, My Brother and Me #103
Cashing In with TJ Miller #9
Pod F. Tompkast #17 – John Hodgman, Jen Kirkman
The Dork Forest #115 – Lizz Winstead

Honorable mentions from the group this week include Smartest Man in the World "Sazeracs," You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes #46 (Harris Wittels) and Your Mom's House #57 (Rory Scovel).

Beginnings Makes It 50 With A Stellar Live UCB Show

2012-05-08T16:30:18Z

The Wrestling Team, AKA comedy duo Mark Bisi and Andy Beckerman, reached 50 episodes of their slow burning and loose weekly podcast, Beginnings. To mark the occasion, the show is recording its 50th episode live at UCB East tonight in New York City. The live show features a stellar lineup of guests, including Rachel Dratch, Jon Glaser, Leo Allen and musician James McNew. Quite a lineup and definitely worth checking out for those in the area. The duo have a few live podcast recordings under their belt and continue to push their show to new formats and audiences - always great to see (and hear!).

Click here for tickets to the show at UCB East.

You can check-out their site for more information and past episodes.