The comedy podcast universe is ever expanding, not unlike the universe universe. We’re here to make it a bit smaller, a bit more manageable. There are a lot of great shows and each has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the exceptional, the noteworthy. Each week our crack team of podcast enthusiasts and specialists and especially enthusiastic people will pick their favorites. We hope to have your ears permanently plugged with the best in aural comedy.
Who Charted? - Brooks Wheelan
Pablo: It’s been a busy month for those who identify as trans. On one hand, you have Caitlyn Jenner breaking down barriers and inspiring others to do the same after coming out as the most famous transgender woman in the world. Yet on the other side of the coin, there’s that mentally unstable former NAACP leader in Spokane who pioneered new ways to take advantage of her white privilege. Somewhere in the middle is Howard Kremer, who announced on this week’s Who Charted that he is a proud transmillennial: a millennial trapped in a Generation Xer’s body. Kremer’s got the facts to back up his new lifestyle: He loves EDM and molly, he rejects normalized romantic relationships, and he fucking hates running errands. Supporting Kremer in his transition are this week’s guest Brooks Wheelan and regular co-hosts Kulap Vilaysack and Brett Morris, who I like to imagine are the selfish upper-middle-class Jewish family from Silver Lake to Kremer’s Jeffrey Tambor. But as long as DJ Snake keeps dominating the music charts, Kremer doesn’t need much help in explaining his Summah Secret to the mainstream. Be proud of who you are, Howard. There’s no shame in bumping the latest Skrillex x Diplo x Justin Bieber collabo while receiving a yearly prostate cancer examination.
Weird Adults - Doug Benson
Leigh: On the latest episode of Weird Adults, host Little Esther and guest Doug Benson call attention to how great a college town can be, specifically when school isn’t in session. Fresh off of recording an episode of Doug Loves Movies, Benson wastes no time talking about movie trivia, specifically how not into movie trivia Little Esther is. But let’s cut to the chase here. They have the best, most enthusiastic conversation about Broadway shows. As a listener, it’s hard not to get just as excited, whether you’re into musicals or not. Benson makes a strong case for musicals that even the hate-iest (that’s a word, probably) of the haters will have a hard time arguing with, because guess what? As Benson points out, you’ve probably been liking musicals all along. Other highlights include how great Pop-Tarts are, artist residencies in Vegas, the flaw of the Entourage movie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Spring Breakers, celebrity autographs, but seriously you guys, musicals!
A Twilight World of Ultimate Smoothness
Marc: Normally I’d review a single episode of a new podcast but that’s not happening this time around, because A Twilight World of Ultimate Smoothness is a six-episode mini-series produced by David Wilcox which, like a series by Netflix, was released all at once a few weeks ago. I binge-listened the whole thing, as each episode is part of a bizarrely funny connected story, and I wanted to take it all in. No spoilers here, but the show revolves around a radio personality, Greg Willis (voiced by Wilcox), who is the host of “the 11th most-listened-to, syndicated, smooth jazz/classic light R&B program on radio today,†according to Twilight’s homesite. There’s so much music in and around the pieces of the story — one man’s weird fall from grace (an dterrestrial radio) that it feels like you’re listening to a real station gone slightly mad. (I emailed Wilcox about the genesis of the show, and he wrote back, “we definitely wanted the show to *feel* like a real commercial FM station. Beyond that, we were heavily influenced by a show Chris Morris did on Radio One back in the late ‘90s called Blue Jam, which aired late Saturday nights/early Sunday mornings, and was a mix of comedy sketches and electronic/ambient music. Morris let songs play from beginning to end in between the skits, so it almost felt like a mixtape.†There are some great running elements in the show, like Willis’ fixation on his “Robe And Slippers Cruise†promotion that proves to be his undoing, and his escalating feud with the station manager. There’s a passing resemblance to Steve Coogan’s Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge BBC TV series from 1994, but this is a whole new treat for the podcasting medium.
Truth and Iliza - Steve Agee
Elizabeth: If you haven’t thought about your embarrassing AOL screenname in a while, get ready. Iliza Shlesinger and Steve Agee (a.k.a. Upstagee on AOL Instant Messenger) reminisce about the days of chat rooms and A/S/L (Age/Sex/Location, not American Sign Language). Iliza recalls her e-mail friendship with a guy from Orange County that started in a chatroom and continued through college, while Steve admits that he has friends who still use AOL for e-mail. (There’s nothing like hearing the sound of “You’ve Got Mail†to make you lose all respect for someone.) They declare Instagram the new Instant Messenger and discuss who they will and won’t follow. They also discover that their birthdays are less than a week apart, leading to a discussion of Pisces traits, and terrible people who care about astrology. Another hot button issue on the episode is cuddle parties and the requirements to be a cuddle party facilitator. The good news: Should you ever find yourself at a cuddle party, you can rest easy knowing that your facilitator is trained in first aid and went through a rigorous certification process.
Doug Loves Movies - Bert Kreischer, Rob Cantrell & Aaron Kleiber
Kaitlynn: This week’s DLM was a mixed bag and fans seemed to love or hate it. Right from the get-go, Bert won the “Pete Holmes Award†for speaking before being spoken to. Fans of Bert will enjoy the episode that features his general confusion about pop culture. On the other hand, if you love the structure and gameplay you’ll likely feel frustrated. Bert’s personality can be overwhelming and as the other guests get quieter, the more he fills the void. Rob and Aaron seemed stoned (or stunned) into silence much of the time, so much so that Doug had to keep reminding them to hold their microphones. In the same way Pete Holmes gets criticized for veering the game off track and not listening to Doug, so does Bert for overwhelming the other guests. As avid Doug Loves Movies listeners, fans should come to expect a different type of show depending on the lineup. If you like funny people, enjoy the podcast—some of the best episodes are those where the games are delayed. Go with the flow and appreciate the assortment of guests, even if you aren’t a fan beforehand (you might be afterwards). Podcasts are meant to make you laugh and entertain and what a joy when they’re free to hear. Phew, rant over.
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
Mohr Stories - Barry Katz
Guys We Fucked - How Did Being A Pimp Affect You Emotionally?
Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend - Lauren Lapkus
The Nick Vatterot Show - Adulthood?
Do You Need a Ride - Guy Branum
The Todd Barry Podcast - Adam Newman
WTF with Marc Maron - Godfrey
NYC Crime Report - They’re All Pussies with Jim Polk
Womp It Up! - Spotlight On: Mr. Joe Bongo (Andy Daly)
Elizabeth Stamp is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York.
Marc Hershon is host of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast and author of I Hate People!
Leigh Cesiro is a writer living in Brooklyn who only needs 10 minutes to solve any Law & Order: SVU episode.
Pablo Goldstein is a writer from Los Angeles, CA.
Kaitlynn E-A Smith is a writer/creator and (somehow) MA fashion grad, born and living in Toronto.