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 one has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the exceptional and 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.
Podcast But Outside - 100: Our Very Special 100th Episode!!! (Good)
Two years ago, Podcast But Outside entered the crowded podcast space with a simple gimmick: Hosts Andrew Michaan and Cole Hersch would set up on a random corner in L.A. and interview passersby for $1. After a tumultuous 2020 that simultaneously saw PBO threatened (when nobody was legally allowed to be outside) and thriving (when everybody realized outside was the safest place to be), the podcast has made it to episode 100. To celebrate the occasion, the hosts finally got a chance to chat with a guest they’ve been manifesting since the early days of the pod: Jon Hamm. In typical Angeleno fashion, none of the random pedestrians pulled off the street to be interviewed cared — or at least, pretended not to care — about the A-list actor sitting across from them. But the man famous for playing the enigmatic Don Draper does give some insight into what it’s been like wearing a mask in public after spending the last decade as a recognizable film and TV star. — Pablo Goldstein
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Celebrity Memoir Book Club - Travis Barker Can Say
Celebrity Memoir Book Club sees comedians Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton read and riff on celebrity memoirs with an enjoyable spirit and speed. This week, the hosts “fall truly, madly, deeply in love with world-class drummer and memoirist Travis Barker,” as they recap his 2016 memoir Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums. They’re usually not so swayed by the authors they analyze, but true to most of Barker’s life, he remains undeniable. A large part of this episode dives into the “Living Large” aspect of the book, which focuses on his sexual history, but his descriptions are never degrading, as the hosts point out. The rest of the episode looks at his dedication to the drums, which is mostly funny because of all the oddball gigs he took, including one with the future Yo Gabba Gabba! dudes. It’s a crash course on celebrity that’s full of charm and comedy. Get caught up before part two drops. — Becca James
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Knowledge Fight – #550: April 16, 2021
If you’ve ever heard right-wing nut Alex Jones spouting off from his Infowars soapbox and wondered, Why doesn’t someone do something?, your hunt is over. In Knowledge Fight, hosts and Chicago comedians Jordan Holmes and Dan Friesen spend each episode dismantling Jones’s verbal rantings and ramblings from his most recent episode. Using sound bites to set the stage, the two tag-team one another, heaping insults upon explanations to point out just how misguided each of Jones’s various diatribes are. Covered in this week’s installment are things like the HR problem that the globalists have (namely, killing those who leave the fold), and Jones’s recommendation that swimming in sewage may bolster your immune system. They also riff on their main man’s religious pomposity as he talks about visiting heaven during his dreams while hyping his vitamin supplements in the same breath. It’s very entertaining to hear these guys unabashedly roast their target while also correcting the misinformation he distributes. Oh, and they also chat about “novelty drinks” — in this case, celebrating Friesen’s yearlong but futile attempt to sample 500 seltzer drinks. — Marc Hershon
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
SimplyPodLogical - Unpopular Opinions
If an adult sleeps with a stuffed animal and no one is around to see it, is there anything wrong with that? In this week’s SimplyPodLogical, YouTubers Cristine Rotenberg and Ben Mazowita debate “Unpopular Opinions” found on Reddit, such as “Should adults still sleep with stuffed animals?” Rotenberg and Mazowita say the adult version of sleeping with stuffed animals is sleeping with pets that take up most of the room. Their grounded but comedic views are a relief to those looking to catch a break from the clickbait usually found on YouTube. The duo also discuss what makes an unpopular opinion unpopular: Is it just that something is strange, or is it being strange enough to tell another person to stop doing it? If they ever find the person who runs pizza under cold water to cool it down, I think it may be the latter. — Alejandra Gularte
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out - Conan O’Brien
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Office Ladies - Job Fair
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Got a comedy podcast recommendation? Drop us a line at comedypodcasts@vulture.com.
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