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.
How Did This Get Made? – 200th Mini Retrospective Clip Show Spectacular!
Marc: Two-hundred episodes is a hell of milestone for a podcast, but 400 is twice as awesome, and that’s what How Did This Get Made?, the paragon of podcasts about crappy movies with hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas has going on this week. Well, they actually celebrated 200 full episodes last week in a live show featuring guest Seth Rogen. But it’s also a couple hundred of their minis, which are their own kind of weirdness. Paul Scheer takes the helm through a collection of snippets from favorite past episodes, recorded messages from longtime HDTGM fans, and a reverse countdown of his five favorite episodes. Co-host Jason Mantzoukas pops in for a few minutes of reminiscing about some moments that really got him laughing. In fact, some of the most fun in this mega-flashback episode is the audio record of the peals of laughter — from hosts, guests, and even audiences in the few clips from live shows that get featured. (The one where Jason absconds with an infant from the audience, and threatens to do it again, is contagiously funny.)
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Comments by Celebs - The Power of the Blue Check ft. Nikki Glaser
Leigh: Stars! They really are just like us! Mainly in how much they also love following the lives of other stars on Instagram. Chances are you’re already familiar with @commentsbycelebs, the wildly popular Instagram account that finds and highlights comments made by celebrities on the posts of other celebrities. To make sure we absolutely never miss a beat when it comes to celebrity gossip, the account has spun off into a podcast hosted by Emma Diamond and Julie Kramer, the duo behind the viral account. This week they’re joined by Nikki Glaser, who breaks down what it’s like to actually leave comments on Instagram as someone who has that almighty blue checkmark next to their name, knowing that whatever you write is going to rise to the top. They also cover how quickly we all move on from celebrity scandals, wild age gaps of celebrity couples, how problematic Alec Baldwin is, and what it must be like to give or receive a gift as a Kardashian. And of course, can there ever be a conversation about celebrity news without the latest Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande updates coming up? The answer is no. But at least now that the midterms are over, you can confidently click the link to this episode without second-guessing whether or not you’re going to be redirected to a voter-registration site.
Doughboys Double - Biggie Feedbag VIII w/ Yusong Liu & Emma Erdbrink
Tom: If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that constantly procrastinating the opening of mail is a universal struggle. In the eighth installment of the “Biggie Feedbag,†master mail-keepers Yusong Liu and Emma Erdbrink take listeners on an audio tour through a highlight reel of Doughboys talking points. From Mitch and Wiger exchanging insults to updates from the world of competitive gaming, the topics covered in this Double extend well beyond the realm of fast food. To further procrastinate the opening of fan mail, Yusong first opens up about an internal crisis, Mitch talks about his meals from a recent trip, and Wiger does some general robot stuff. As we finally jump into the actual feedbag — which contains packages, notes, and obscure snacks sent to our favorite fast-foodies — we’re quickly derailed when our foursome gets spooked by a mysterious noise coming from inside Mitch’s house, specifically his bathroom. To find out the cause of the noise, hear Wiger share a nice compliment about Mitch, and listen to engineer Emma talk about her obsession with The Sims, join the Golden Plate Club today.
Listen: Website
Behind the Bastards - The Bastards of the 2018 Midterm Election
Mark: In advance of Tuesday’s midterm elections, Behind the Bastards host Robert Evans primed listeners with a brief history of Ted Cruz, followed by this summary of the rest of the slimy bastards on the ticket. And there are plenty to choose from. Katy Stoll and Cody Johnston of the Even More News podcast join the nationwide tour for what served as a helpful preelection study guide. Postelection day, the episode makes for a handy report card. Points to Illinois for sending neo-Nazi Arthur Jones and Beyoncé conspiracist Bill Fawell back to their caves. “God is a white supremacist†enthusiast Russell Walker and his Geocities website were sent packing by North Carolina. Well done, Virginia, for electing Tim Kaine over Confederate-statue-lover Corey Stewart, although Stewart still somehow earned 41 percent of the vote. On the other hand, a big fat “F†to Iowa for reelecting America’s worst uncle, Steve King, back to Congress. No podcast host puts more prep into their show than Robert Evans does. Bad politicians aren’t going away anytime soon, which earns Behind the Bastards a well-deserved place in listeners’ earholes.
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Chapo Trap House - Wonk the Pain Away: An Election Special feat. Will Sommer
Pablo: I am so jealous of people for whom the name Jacob Wohl meant nothing until last week. For the blissfully ignorant who don’t spend each day rotting away on political Twitter, the young Wohl reigns supreme with one of world’s foremost broken brains. And last week, the professional Twitter troll landed himself in hot water when it was discovered that he was behind the failed attempt to frame special counsel Robert Mueller for rape. If you don’t care to see a Trump bootlicker’s visible flop sweat at a Holiday Inn, this week’s Chapo guest Will Sommer does an excellent recap of the Periscoped press conference that will likely be used as evidence in a future federal indictment. Even though the majority of this episode is focused on midterm predictions that are now old news, it’s still a superb listen for those unfamiliar with the saga of Wohl’s ironically named Surefire Intelligence.
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Podcast: The Ride - Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure with Brad Evans and Nick Ciarelli
Kathryn: Brad Evans and Nick Ciarelli (Atlantic City, UCB LA) visit Podcast: The Ride to deconstruct perhaps the most infamous defunct theme-park attraction in history: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. It had been a yearly immersive live show combining the Harlem Shake, Paula Deen, North West, the government shutdown, Macklemore, Elian Gonzalez, Kim Jong-un, Sharknado, and anything else that had breached the public consciousness over the preceding 12 months — completely unrelated to Halloween — all bookended by sexy dance numbers. It was a fixture of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights for decades until one intrepid Vice reporter revealed how homophobic/racist/terrible the show was, leading to its cancellation in 2013 (though the Orlando version forged ahead until last year). Brad and Nick are the undisputed authorities on the “rideâ€: They wrote a long-running UCB stage show-based-on-the-show-based-on-a-movie, so they’re more than able to deliver a two-hour oral history of the famous debacle. If you never got the chance to see Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure in real life, you don’t want to watch the bootleg videos on YouTube, and you couldn’t get to Brad and Nick’s Bill and Ted’s Spooky Halloween Spooftacular, this episode of Podcast: The Ride should do the trick.
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
Asian, Not Asian - I Loved Kumon and Harvard Was Fun (Feat. Karen Chee)
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Comedy Bang Bang - Jason Mantzoukas, Paul F. Tompkins
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Seek Treatment - Oldest Kid in the Cul-De-Sac w/ Mitra Jouhari
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Why Won’t You Date Me - Vagina Talk w/Megan Neuringer
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Girls Gotta Eat - Do You Believe in Life After Love? With Sean Donnelly
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Alchemy This – Replacing Zuckerberg, Motor Lodge, and Honeymoon on the Boardwalk
Listen: Apple | Website
Got a comedy podcast recommendation? Drop us a line at [email protected].
This week’s reviewers: Pablo Goldstein, Kathryn Doyle, Marc Hershon, Leigh Cesiro, Mark Kramer, and Tom Rainey.