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 month, 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. You can also keep up with all our comedy-podcast recommendations in Vulture’s newsletter 1.5x Speed.
Sad in the City — White-Hot Nightmare
Are you sad? Do you live in the city? Do you lie awake at night contemplating your impending oldness, how to look hot in a beanie, and ingrown hairs? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, Taylor Tomlinson’s podcast is for you. Fans of the comedian will enjoy this glimpse into her always funny, rarely glamorous adventures as a bicoastal entertainer currently in New York City. Aspiring stand-up comedians will also relate to the highs, lows, and woes of the comedy scene, but especially to Tomlinson’s observation about there being unnecessary photography at every stand-up show. (Seriously, why is there a photographer at every show?) This week’s episode also gets into the reality of aging and self-image, begging questions like “Would middle-school me be okay with what I look like now?” and “Is it enough to simply curl the ends of your hair when you have a beanie on to give the illusion of being put together?” Tomlinson and her co-host, Brianna Peters, also consider the utopian reality of vaginas shooting out money right after they’ve shot out a baby, which makes for a nice cherry on top of the “women’s podcast” cake. If nothing else, I urge you to give this episode a listen for the manscaping ad read alone. Tag along with Tomlinson, commiserate from coast to coast. This one’s fun. —Akanksha Aurora
XOXO, Gossip Kings - Hi, Society
Gossip Girl has been reborn not once but twice. The popular teen series that first premiered in 2007 is revisited by comedians Carl Tart and Lamar Woods in their recap podcast XOXO, Gossip Kings. In their pilot episode, they set up the show’s nostalgia and humor as Tart reminisces on one of his high-school classmates nicknamed Grandfather Clock because he was held back a year: “He was just in the class ahead of us and he was our friend, but every time he would walk up, people would go, ‘Father timeeeee,’” Tart says. In a similar fashion, Tart and Woods give endearing nicknames to the socialites of the Upper East Side throughout each episode: “2007 Zendaya” is Vanessa, “Lil’ J” is Jenny Humphrey, “Shot to the Heart” is Serena’s mom Lily, and “HeySoulSista” is Dan’s dad Rufus. They also share who they spot out and about every week, from professional athletes to friends they’ve run into. The co-hosts comically address the lack of diversity in the world of Gossip Girl, describing Blair’s minions, whose names hardly get mentioned in the show, as “There’s a Black one, and there’s an Asian one.” In their latest episode, “Hi, Society,” the two remind us of simpler times when One Republic’s “Apologize” was the hardest breakup song on the radio as HeySoulSista and Shot to the Heart realize their missed romance, allowing their children Dan and Serena to date. If there is one thing that’s a constant in the GG universe, it’s that HeySoulSista will always be cookin’. —Alejandra Gularte
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Take This Pod and Shove It - “The Pill” by Loretta Lynn (w/ Alex Kumin)
Take This Pod and Shove It is a comedic celebration of country music for everyone, not just fans of the oft-maligned genre. In the podcast, hosts Tyler Snodgrass and Danny Maupin work to “build the ultimate country-music playlist one song [at] a time” by researching, discussing, and sharing “a different boot-stompin’ country banger” weekly, often with the help of a guest. This episode, the assist comes from comedian Alex Kumin as the group digs into Loretta Lynn’s 1975 crossover hit “The Pill,” a song about birth control with a comic tinge. Lynn, of course, has a storied career that saw many of her songs banned from the radio because of their “radical” subject matter. But what makes a woman radical within a male-dominated industry? This is one of the many great questions that are thoughtfully and playfully approached as Kumin, the perfect guest for this episode, drops knowledge and jokes in equal measure, musing on things like the state of sexual education in America (she worked in the field for seven years prior to becoming a comedian) before concluding many people would fail an anatomy test. It’s funny because it’s true, and much like an excellent country song, the podcast packs a punch, offering listeners an entertaining and thought-provoking time. —Becca James
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Fly on the Wall With Dana Carvey and David Spade - Chris Rock
It’s getting more and more difficult to find a podcast that offers a unique hook, but it still happens. Wading into the crowd right after the start of the new year, Fly on the Wall is already amassing listeners with its promise of something different: a peek into the hallowed halls of SNL curated by alums from two overlapping eras of the show. Dana Carvey (1986-1993) and David Spade (1990-1996) are now Zooming it up with past cast members, hosts, and musical guests from the network’s venerable late-night comedy institution. “It’s very much about this incredibly bizarre experience that is becoming a cast member on SNL,” Carvey told me on a call this week. “And the fact that Lorne Michaels, the brilliant Lorne Michaels, has kept it essentially the same for a half-century.” The guest on their first episode was Chris Rock, who was on SNL in the sweet spot bridging both hosts from 1990 to 1993. The conversation ranges from the disbelief at having gotten cast on the show to what an incredible grind each week’s episode was to churn out. Rock talks about the expectations of being the Black performer on the show: “I was expected to be ‘the new Eddie Murphy’… and I don’t do characters!” The conversation gets deep, covering their respective years in therapy — not so much due to the show but from childhood family issues that have remarkable similarities. The spellbinding element of this new podcast is the sense of legend tempered by crazy stories, pranks and, in the end, a shared affection for a TV show that has left — and is still leaving — an indelible mark on our culture. —Marc Hershon
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Tea Time With Gabby Lamb and Harper-Rose Drummond - Pet Peeves
Nothing scratches a particular comedy itch like a topic show in its stride. Tea Time began as a small passion project by L.A. comedian Gabby Lamb reading and riffing on listener-submitted emails. She soon added a producer, Lee Nason, and then invited her roommate, fellow comic Harper-Rose Drummond, as a co-host while unveiling a fully formed set for their video component. Weekly topics like worst work stories, controversial opinions, and parental lies are standard fare for these shows but turn to high-energy discussions quickly thanks in part to Lamb, Drummond, and Nason’s unique perspectives as three younger, sober, unfiltered, and cutting-edge entertainers. The topic of pet peeves would likely turn that up a notch anyway, but the circumstance of recording after a breakup for Drummond, and Lamb doing “so many huge shows in one weekend with so many predators,” turns out to be a perfect storm for manic bickering and roommate (and sibling) gossip. Everyone is on notice: finger lickers, Nason’s string of dates with different hecklers, “It’s wine o’clock somewhere” printed T-shirt types, and Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates. Whether you’re in their crosshairs at any point or not, it’s easy to share in their contagious catharsis. —Noah Jacobs
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Other Podcasts We’re Listening To:
Wooden Overcoats - The Body Snatchers
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Dear Earth, I’m Really Sorry - A Shrew in the Shadow of a Dinosaur
Listen: Spotify | Apple | Website
Got a comedy podcast recommendation? Drop us a line at comedypodcasts@vulture.com.
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- This Month in Comedy Podcasts: Nikki Glaser on WTF
