viddyviddy

“No good at life, but very funny sometimes with the commentary.”
― Kurt Vonnegut

Oh, Reader.  The things I do for you.

I've provided you with plenty of reviews in the past, haven't I?  But it's never been enough.  Every(ish) week I'm forced to head out into the depths of the Internet, armed with my machete and one of those neat pith hats, to retrieve a new podcast that I can in turn share with you.  This process has led me to many different destinations and while most of them have been good, fun places with clean bathrooms, some of them are beyond the realm of safe listening.

There are podcasts out there that are deeper, darker depths than my headphones were meant to travel through.  We're talking "Heart of Darkness" deep, here.

Do you remember reading that story in high school?  No?  Well trust me, it fits.

Let me apologize for reviewing Boner City USA.  

Relevant Links:
Main Site!
Get the podcast through iTunes!
Get the podcast for other ways to listen that aren't iTunes!
Store, complete with rad t-shirts!

Content Rating:  EXPLICIT.  Explicit, explicit, expliciiiiiiiit!  I know I've tagged many, many other podcasts as explicit before but this time I MEAN IT.  For the sake of not violating Blogger's "no porn" rule, I am not even going to pull quotes from the podcast.

[I like to sing the word 'explicit' to the tune of that "Tradition" song from Fiddler on the Roof.  EXPLICIIIIIT!  EXPLICIT!]

Average Episode Length:  About an hour?  Long enough, trust me.

Drinking Game:  Pick 3-5 bottles out of your liquor cabinet at random.  Mix them all together, and then drink until you are able to speak freely about all the unspeakable things you've done in the past.  

Release Schedule:  At least twice a week.

Boner City USA is a comedy podcast hosted by comedians Andrew Dewitt, Dan Bialek, Jeff Danis and Ryan O’Neill in which they discuss the day’s pressing issues in the smartest dumbest way possible.

Maybe I'm being a bit dainty about Boner City USA.  I mean, this is the Internet, right?  If you want G Rated material, there are plenty of places to seek it out, and if you want the NC-17 rated stuff then it is certainly out there in equal (if not greater) measure.  So let me try and talk about this podcast while avoiding the fact that it is so vulgar I can't listen to it at work and I use headphones.

Boner City USA is schadenfreude in audio format. The four hosts are shameless in their discussions of their lives and will share every embarrassing facet of human existence that they have run across.  Stories involve childhood near death experiences with grain silos, interactions at the YMCA, and every aspect of dating and interpersonal relationships that you can imagine.  They'll probably even talk about a few that you haven't thought up.

The podcast is brutally honest and brutally hilarious.  Four comedians spilling their guts out and arguing with one other turns out some pretty funny conversations, and you may not want to be driving or using a knife to chop veggies when you listen.

Music:  I think they pick whatever songs they like for the intro/outro.

Unintentionally Good Part:  I like that they assign themselves jobs/titles within the realm of Boner City.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  It is super-awkward to try and share this podcast with someone else.  No one seems to be prepared for what comes out of the speakers when I play episodes for them.

Unrelated rating:  Two free t-shirts out of three.  By the way, when I reviewed another Dorksplosion network podcast, Gamedians, they sent me 3 free t-shirts from their store!  That is offically the most I have ever been "paid" for running this blog.  I can say that the shirts are comfy and high-quality.  Haven't found the right venue to wear the Boner City USA shirt to, but who knows what will happen in the future.

Portmanteaus, a combination of at least two words, are fun!  Here are some examples:
 

• Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch
• Smoke + Fog = Smog
• Short + Pants = Skort
• Pregnant + Angry = The dumbest word, it made me mad to read it
• Obnoxious + Replacement for a Sense of Humor = Snark
• Gamers + Comedians = The Gamedians Podcast

 I like that last one!  It's got a ring to it.  Let's look into these Gamedians, shall we?

Relevant Links:
Gamedians Main Site!
iTunes Download!
Libsyn Download Site (for Android and Non-iTunes users)!
Gamedians YouTube Channel!

The long and short of the Gamedians podcast is that you download it and subsequently listen to comedians talk about video games for a while.  Hosts Andrew Dewitt, Dan Bialek and Asterios Kokkinos are here to delight and entertain you with their crippling video game addiction that they've turned into fodder for a podcast.  You like the Xbox?  Some Skyrim?  Maybe you want to throwback to Grim Fandago?  These are your guys.

I remember the first time it hit home that the things I thought were awesome were actually the lamest, loser-y things.

Unsurprisingly, many of their attempts to talk about video games end up in wild tangents.  The conversations on the whole are hilarious and often include the hosts getting riled up about whatever topic they land on. 

Content Rating:  Tagged as Explicit.  There is swearing and content that is not work safe, so headphones on!  They aren't so much offensive as they are just vulgar, if that makes sense.  For example, they'll use swear words but there's no inherent vitriol towards whatever party their swearing about. 

Average Episode Length:  You'll get about an hour of fresh-squeezed entertainment per episode.  The shortest episode runs at 34 minutes, while the longest episode tops out at an hour and forty!

When I go to my Ewok market I look for free-range, no antibiotic Stormtroopers that have been treated humanely. 

Drinking Game:  I am going to point you good people over to the Drunken Moogle, where they offer only the finest game themed adult beverages and accessories. 

Release Schedule:  Oh!  We have a bi-weekly release on Gamedians!  Doesn't look like they hold to any specific days to release, so subscribe or check back often to see when a new episode drops. 

Music: Eight bit music!  It's adorable and makes me smile when I recognize the song being covered.

I have eaten mayonnaise because I didn't want to go get food.

Unintentionally Good Part:  These guys have nerd history and their reminiscing is really fun to listen to on the podcast.  There are a lot of sweet memories of their nerdy parents tucked into the episodes that I enjoyed.

Bonus Unintentionally Good Part:  Asterios Kokkinos' name.  It's just rad.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  Makes me want to spend money on video games, when I need to save it for important things. 

This is Irregular.  Irregular is an irregularly produced podcast focusing on irregular conversations with irregular people.

I think we can all agree that mocking things is the best, right?  Nothing makes you feel better than cutting someone else down and the anonymity of the Internet makes is incredibly easy for people to post things that you can subsequently laugh at.  

Hm.  I probably should have watched more Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood when I was little.  Too late!

But what if, on the rare occasion that you have to catch your breath because you're laughing so hard at someone, you decided to let them have their say on the matter?  And what if you actually found them interesting and with their own, mostly valid opinion?  Then you'd have the Irregular Podcast.

Relevant Links:
The Irregular Podcast Website!
iTunes! Which only has the first episode available, so check out...
Download through Feedburner!  ..which also only has the first episode.

Just listen to it through the site, okay?

Content Rating:  Explicit.  SERIOUSLY.  The first episode is called "Kindleporn Authors" so you can take that a guidelines as to whether or not you'd be comfortable listening to this podcast.

"It's a Strategically Placed Hole."

Average Episode Length:  Arrrrrrround an hourrrrrrr long.

Drinking Game:  Go on to Amazon.com.  Buy one of the good books that I've listed for you on the side of this review, then go click around the Kindle selections.  First time you find a book title that makes you recoil from your computer monitor, go get a drink.

ALWAYS THE WEREWOLVES!

Release Schedule:  Please see the podcast title.

Music:  L'Aguardiente by Camper Van Beethoven.

The previously reviewed, and much-beloved-by-me podcast The F Plus has stepped out beyond their towering empire of delightfully bizarre and hilarious forums readings to hear what the people they've made fun of have to say.  Hosts Lemon and Boots Raingear step into new territory as they invite members of subcultures to step up to the mic and explain what they're all about.

[Spoiler:  the wackadoos in every subculture are in the extreme minority, which means that the large majority are just peeps that happen to like things like Underwater Boggle or Sheep Organization.]

The Irregular Podcast provides you with interviews from a handful of people that participate in weird things.  The tone of the interviews are... semi-earnest explorations of other people's interests.  The hosts are more than happy to joke around with their guests, and the guests are congenial and do their best to answer the questions put forth.  The dialogue is interesting and while you may not come out of each episode with a greater appreciation for your fellow man, you'll have gotten an episode's worth of entertainment.  

Unintentionally Good Part:  When the guests catch the hosts off guard.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  The little player that pops up from the site is frustrating to move back and forth along the timeline, which makes it hard to replay funny quotes for a podcast review.

Unrelated rating:  Four reposts out of five.

That's not a book cover, that's a t-shirt!

Here's the long and short of it:  Greg Proops is funny, he has a podcast, and he is funny on the podcast.  I am on the opinion that you should download this aforementioned podcast, listen to it, and enjoy the comedic stylings of the also aforementioned comedian Greg Proops.

...what, you want more information?  Fine.  Have it your way, like always!



Relevant Links:
Get the podcast through Libsyn!
Or perhaps you would prefer to get an App through iTunes!
Tumblr!
RSS!

Comedian Greg Proops is smarter than you.

Here's why you want to listen to The Smartest Man in the World:

1. Greg Proops addresses his audience as "kittens" and you know you want in on that.
2. If you are unable to have access to comedy clubs this podcast will give you a chance to listen to a standup comedian perform before a live audience.
3. The Smartest Man in the World has a hefty run time per episode.
4. Because The Smartest Man in the World is performed before a live audience, that hefty run time is lean and mean with no boring filler.
5. I have laughed aloud (or "laughed out loud" as the kids say it these days) and that's got to be a good sign right there I-tell-you-whut.
6.  The podcast is free!  That is always a reason to listen to a podcast.

Greg Proops!  He travels the world to make with the laughs!  Then he records his live performances and that, as far as I understand, is how The Smartest Man in the World came into being.  I first saw Greg Proops back in the days when I would record funny tidbits on television through the magic of my VCR.

[Kids, this was back in the day when we didn't have your fancy torrents and your precious Napsters.  If you wanted to watch an illegally copied episode of your precious animes you had to pray you knew someone with one of those special VCRs that could run two tapes at once!  Those were dark days, my friends.  You should crawl underneath your desk and kiss your CAT5 cable in gratitude right now.]


Content Rating:  Explicit and flagrant about it.  In my personal realm of what I will tolerate and what I will not in regards to vulgarity I find that the Proopcast don't bother none.  That being said, I would suggest a pair of headphones to use if you are going to be listening in mixed company or at work.

 The men in the crowd look at me and go "I wish I was a nasal, effeminate guy from San Francisco!" and the women look at me and think "I wish my boyfriend was a nasal, effeminate guy from San Francisco!"

Average Episode Length:  Ugh, effort.  The majority of episodes are well over an hour long while remaining under two hours in length.  Somewhere in between 60 minutes and 120 minutes lies the average episode length.  Close your eyes and take a guess!  Seventy-eight minutes?  Sure, sounds great.

Drinking Game:  Take a drink whenever:

• Greg refers to the audience as "kittens"
• A historical fact is mentioned
• A former president is discussed
• Who's Line is it Anyways is brought up

Release Schedule:  Weekly, with the release on Monday.

Music: There is just a pinch of music in The Smartest Man in the World aka Proopcast which is a snazzy little tune for the intro and outro.

If I had any sense of smell, or I could hear, or I could see I wouldn't have this job.  I would be a cheese taster in Provence, I really would, my name would be Jabert and I would be insufferable.  "This morbier hasn't aged enough, I can't believe you have the inconsideration and gall to put it on a cracker and give it to me.  Look at the veins on it, they're paltry!"

Unintentionally Good Part:  You can learn things while listening!  That whole The Smartest Man in the World title ain't just for show!  Greg often enjoys sharing historical facts with the audience.

"But ViddyViddy," you say, "He has a personal bias in the information he presents!"

"Yes," I will reply.  "That is a true fact."

Still, all the stories he brings up are interesting, and perhaps they will spur you on to learn more all on your own!

Unintentionally Bad Part:  Greg Proops is unabashedly to the left of American politics, and often brings up his viewpoints during The Smartest Man in the World.  This is not an inherently bad thing, and I would say this regardless of what part of the political spectrum a person lands on.  What makes this potentially bad is if you try to listen to this in, say, a six hour car ride with someone else where the other passenger disagrees with his viewpoints. 

Actually, that's okay too!  Nobody has to agree with everything they hear.  The potentially bad part comes along where the other person decides that you need to hear why they disagree and are inherently correct in their opinion and then you might try and drive off a cliff to get them to stop talking.  A man can only take so much.

Unrelated rating: Two fictional ocelots out of two. 

SCENARIO:  You find yourself in the Perfect Kitchen with every conceivable tool, recipe, and ingredient that you would ever need or want.  There is a magic pantry filled with every spice the natural world has to offer, lots of those weird molecular gastronomy devices, a collection of pans that would make Julia Child weep, and even those awesome little lychee candies from the Asian market by my house. With enough time and effort you could make ANYTHING YOU WANT with the added guarantee that it will turn out perfectly.

What do you do?

That's right!  You order take-out. WAY too much effort, amirite?

I love to cook, but I'm one of the first to admit that sometimes you just want someone else to cook the damn meal. Maybe you don't even want to get your own dishes dirty!

So you go out to eat. But then THAT takes effort!  Where do you go? How do you know it will be good?  What should you wear?  Who will shovel the food into your gaping maw?





It may be too late for some lost souls, but the LA Foodie podcast is here to light the path to deliciousness* **.

*Granted your path takes you through the state of California.
** Huh, deliciousness is a word recognized by Firefox?  I learned something new today.


Relevant Links:
Welcome page for those new to LA Foodie!
LA Foodie Main Site!
LA Foodie Podcast!
Store with Cute T-Shirts!
Twitter!
aaaaand their Pinterest board (??? that is the right term, yes?) because all the kids have them these days. 

Hosts Drew Hubbard, Ben Waters a hella (hecka? I'm trying to adopt the lingo for this review) lot of other contributors work their artisan baked buns off to bring you the whole of the LA Foodie online content, podcast included. It is their mission to endlessly taunt you with descriptions of food-type items until you are forced to go out and try them all.

We're looking for the best food in LA and usually finding it.

The tone of LA Foodie is casual with lots of humor, but they do remember to offer up plenty of informative reviews about what they've been eating.  I am not familiar with food reviews, so I don't know if there is any particular expected format to compare LA Foodies' reviews to, but here's what they will deliver:

1. They will tell you about a food.  If the food is not a national brand that can be found at any grocery store, they will give you the location where the food can be procured.  The place where the food will be procured will also be described so you can learn about their decor, seating, how they present their food experience and such.
2. Said food will be described.  If the serving method is interesting they will describe that along with texture, flavor, and enjoyment of the food in question.
3. Hosts will then go on to talk about the food for a while.  At the end of their discussion you will be able to tell whether or not the food is worth attempting to procure for yourself.

Trust me on this, all right?  It is interesting and you will be drooling by the end of each episode. 

Content Rating:  Explicit and tagged as so in iTunes.  Be forewarned that the humor often goes blue.  Nothing that has scorched my ears yet, just be aware that you might want to slap headphones on if you listen at work. 

"This was in my mouth, it's going in yours."

Average Episode Length:  The smallest "mini-episode" clock in at about 4 minutes, while their longest recording stands at one hour and ten minutes (with a few seconds tacked on).  Most of their episodes fall around 45-ish minutes.  Accurate, am I not?

"Just want to say I referred to my forty ounce as a palate cleanser, that's probably the only time in history that's happened."

Drinking Game:  Allow me to make my own contribution by showing you this article on the best bars in LA with drinking games!  For the "at-home" version, I suggest that you seek out some sort of local beer/wine/soda/caramel sauce to enjoy as you listen to the podcast.  Review whatever you are drinking, aloud, to your pets.

Release Schedule:  Twice a month!

LA Foodie even has segments!  Here are a few of my favorites:


Music:  It's good!  I can't think of the genre of music they use to break up their segments, but it is the kind that makes you hum "buh-duh-duh-daaaaaaa-la! La! La! La-dee-duh-daaaaaaah-aah!"

Unintentionally Good Part:  An entire podcast about food in which the hosts and guests will consume food for review during the podcast and there are NO EATING SOUNDS.  A+++++, will listen again.  I have been forced to turn off and unsubscribe from a podcast before due to the heinous act of purposefully chewing into a mic.   I find that incredibly disrespectful to the listening audience, so I am please to announce that LA Foodie hosts handle themselves well.  Manners, yo, they matter.

[Addendum:  Yes, I am completely insane about the sound of people chewing.  CLOSE.  YOUR.  MOUTH.  YOU.  SLATTERN.  Ugh, disgusting!  Okay, I'm over it for the moment.]

Unintentionally Bad Part:  Unless you live near LA and the surrounding area where LA Foodie reviews eateries, you are going to get hungry with no outlet to feed yourself with the delicious foods they are describing.  The part of the nation I live in is desperately lacking in adorable food trucks. 

Care to try a free sample?:  Discover LA Foodie as I did, through this delightful mini-episode.  It is a very good representative of the podcast as a whole. 

Unrelated rating:  1200% of your daily sodium intake.

BANG!

WHAM!

POW!

bonk.

Comic Dorks.  Holy earbuds, Batman!  It's a podcast!

Relevant Links:
Main site!
iTunes Subscription site!
RSS Feed-y goodness!
Forums!

Scott Johnson, Scott Kurtz, Stephen Schleicher, and Marc Spagnuolo are here to deliver all your comic book and comic industry news, fresh each month!  Unfortunately they can't be a superhero team because only one of them has the alliterative name (is that still a trope?), but let's try not to hold that against them. 

From what I understand, comic books are a thing that you can read.  Sometimes they are on paper, although they are more frequently being sent via bits and bytes via the Interweb.  Many times these comic books involve people in illogical amounts of spandex, or detectives in trench coats, or even normal people doing normal people things that happen to be very interesting.  Comic Dorks talks about both the stories and the creation and operation that surround comics and even as someone who isn't entirely sure what they're talking about, I am still entertained.

Content Rating:  Explicit, and tagged so in iTunes.  I haven't really heard any naughty words, but they do discuss comics that have violent plots and they might swear on occasion. 

You could come out with a web comic or a graphic novel online it didn't matter who saw it, or whether anyone ever saw it you could still put it out there and that is the most free-the freaking-I don't know the word, you're the libertarians of comic makers because anybody could see it and it's complete and total freedom and you could be naked in your house and who cares. 

Average Episode Length:  Around an hour and forty-nine minutes as far as I can tell by glancing at the two episode they have released.

Drinking Game:  ComicAttack.net not only features drinking games (scroll down), but some superhero drinks as well!  Yay, Google searches.

Release Schedule:  Monthly. 

Music:  There are goofy little clips from corny old superhero shows that they play between topics. 

Unintentionally Good Part:  The sheer nerditry that's going on in this podcast.  It's dense, people.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  Hm.  Like I said, I am not on top of comic book related information, but let's say that a bad part of this might be if the hosts opinions or facts are incorrect about something, which could make you rage as you listen.

I like violence, and I like sex, but I don't like violent sex.

The Comic Dork hosts are wise in the way of comics, and several of them have worked or currently work in "the industry" of comics/webcomics, so they have the insight you're looking for.  The personalities go well together and the discussions are interesting and thorough.  THEY LIKE COMICS AND LIKE TALKING ABOUT THEM EVEN MORE.  Even if you're like me and don't know much about comics, you will still be entertained by the hosts' and how they say what they have to say.  

One of my favorite parts is their comics recommendations, and when they discuss what they are currently reading.  Great way to find fun stuff to read!

Unrelated rating:  Fourteen "snikts!" out of seventeen "Bubs."

In a surprising turn of events, dear reader, I don't just spend the whole of my life listening to podcasts.  Sometimes I pretend I'm a writer!  And what's the best way to pretend to be a writer?

Wait, what do you mean 'by writing'?  Oh reader, you so crazy.

No!  You spend your time thinking about writing!  That's the ticket!  At least two hours each day are spent visualizing an increasing word count, which typically leaves me so exhausted that I spend the rest of the day watching Netflix.  When I can muster the energy I also do things like find podcasts that features two authors, who are friends, talking about pretty much whatever comes into their heads.  Sometimes they even mention writing.  Welcome to Lunch Box, featuring Ed and John. 

LUNCH BOX is an episodic conversation about coarse dining, literature,
cultural amusements, and escaped zoo animals.

Relevant Links:
Main Site!
RSS Feed!
Ed Skoog's website, featuring the best WordPress background I have ever seen.
J. Robert Lennon's website

Hosts Ed Skoog and John Lennon have pulled up a third chair to the two-top table they've been sharing and invite you to sit down and listen in to their chats.  These two gentlemen wish to relate to you the trials and tribulations of their day to day lives as authors, and will make sure to take plenty of tangents along the way. 

Here are some things they've written that aren't podcasts!





[For those of you that Adblock my site and can't see the links:  you're all bastards.]

Content Rating:  Cleaner than some?  From what I've listened to there isn't a massive amount of swearing, but I guess they could talk about butts and that might offend your delicate ears.

Average Episode Length:  An hour with a few extra minutes sprinkled on top, just like grandma used to make. 

 Bonobos hate Jane Austen. 

Drinking Game:  Find one of the food items that are invariably discussed by the hosts.  Then go get a beer and drink that while you eat the food and listen to the podcast again.

Release Schedule:  According to the release dates on iTunes the episodes are released sporadically, usually within two-three weeks of that last.

Ed:  I just changed the baby.
John: Into what?

Music:  What might be the best podcast theme song I have ever heard.  It fits the feel of the podcast perfectly, it's quick, it's adorable, and it has the podcast's title in it.  Boom, all ya need. 

John:  What do the Scotts call mashed potatoes and mashed turnips?   Tatties and tweeps, or something like that, tatties and neeps.  Neeps and tatties!

Ed:  Is that true?

John:  Yeah, neeps and tatties with haggis.

Ed:  Is that true or is that just what they told you?

John:  No, it's actually printed on menus!

Ed:  You didn't ask a lot of questions and they just said this to dismiss you.

John:  They have special menus printed for the American to seem more regional.

Poking fun at a world gone mad.

TRANSPARENCY TIME

I found, and am now subsequently reviewing this podcast because one of the dudes in it followed me on Twitter.  Hi, @FunnyChuck, good on you for seeking out venues in social media!  I'm sure as hell not getting paid for any of these reviews, but here at ViddyViddy Co. we like to make sure that the twelve people who read these reviews can trust that my bias lies entirely with the font choice of the podcast's website, and nowhere else. 

Let's meet-n-greet with Constant Crisis News & Opinion!

Relevant Links:
Main site!
Download from iTunes!
Chuck Hansen's site!

Hosts Hamilton Holloway and Chuck Hansen invite you to join them as they marvel at the grand display of stupid in the world.  They have taken it upon themselves to scour the news sources of the world (and the Internet) so that they can bring you the freshest oddities and reported ridiculousness.  The Associated Press is their vineyard, and they have plucked only the most choice stories for you to laugh at.

Holloway and Hansen take to the mics to give you their views on each story, and inject their own senses of humor into a lot of very silly stories.  They hosts enjoy themselves, and invite you to join them.

Content Rating: Clean and dandruff free.

Average Episode Length: Twenty-nine minutes, as the crow listens to his podcasts.

Drinking Game:  I feel like this drinking game is one that lacks alcohol, but there is still an inherent game.

1. Go to a local thrift store.
2. Search through the coffee mugs.  The goal is to find the mug that bests expresses either:
1. Your dislike of Monday
2. How much you love your grandchildren
3. How like the kitten on the branch, you hang in there
3. Take mug home, rinse out.  
4. Fill with instant coffee/lemonade of your choice.   Drink.

Release Schedule:  Weekly!  Good stuff.

Music:  That "deet-dee-deet-deet" noise that's a marker for news reports.

Unintentionally Good Part:  It made me feel good when I saw the notification that @FunnyChuck had followed me. 

Unintentionally Bad Part:  If you peruse sites like Yahoo!News or any other news aggregate sites, you'll have heard a lot of these stories before.

Unrelated rating:  Now that you've read this whole review, here is a summary of the CCN&O podcast:

Boom!  Go listen.

The Internet:  never have there been so many crystal clear springs set next to so many filth-ridden pools of the spit poured out of those nasty cups people who chew dip carry around with them in a pathetic attempt to disguise the fact that they're spitting in the produce section of the grocery store.  For every website that attempts to light the beacon of knowledge, humor, or beauty there are about 23 that are not only producing content that is insipid, wrong, or flat-out dangerous.

Luckily for us, a lot of those sites are also hilarious.  But who has the time or mental fortitude to pluck out the choice, laughable nuggets from amidst the sprawling sewers of the Webatrons?

These guys.  Get to know The F Plus.  Since 2009 (dawn of the Internet, I believe) these brave souls have willingly plunged into the dumbest, foulest Internet forums known to mankind to retrieve humorous posts and display them to you, the listener, via dramatic reading.  There will be voices, there will be laughter, and there will be things that once heard, cannot be unheard.   


Relevant Links:
Main Site!
Get the podcast on iTunes!
Get the podcast on last.fm!
 or FeedBurner!

Join me behind the jump, won't you?

 Beer, pop culture trivia, and those questionable bowls of Chex mix that you want to snack from, but you're not sure if the people you're sharing with washed their hands after going to the bathroom.  From what I've heard from my more socially outgoing associates, Pub Quiz Nights are a thing!  You answer questions about episodes of Friends and receive laurels and maybe free alcohol! 

And now you can experience all that Saturday night fun in the comfort of your headphones and without the need to call a cab.  It's Ask Me Another!

Relevant Links:
Ask Me Another Main Site
Ways to download it!
Apparently a list of Pub Quiz Team Names for your perusal!

Behind the scenes, everyone's touching things.
                                                  -Contestant

Content Rating:  Clean, but expect innuendos and such things.

Average Episode Length:  Since there's only one episode, exactly forty-eight minutes and forty-five seconds!

Drinking Game:  Seeing how this is fashioned after pub quiz shows, I'd better come up with something. 

1. Think of those asinine drinking games you used to play in college.
2. Contemplate how you now have a mortgage and student loans.
3. Just drink as you damn well please.

I'm a ton of fun at parties.  

The games in Ask Me Another are clever and quick, created by Puzzle Gurus John Chaneski, Art Chung  and actor/writer Will Hines.  Host Ophira Eisenberg sets a fast pace as the questions and answers are flung about for the audience's amusement.  There are plenty of chances for witty banter and bad puns, and the guest contestants are willing to give as good as they get.

Contestants compete in a series of single-round elimination games, where the winner goes on to the final "championship".  The games themselves are super-neat and can include singing the answer, wordplay, haiku and whatever else you can stitch together to make a puzzle. 

There was stuff that worked and stuff that didn’t, but hey, that’s what editing is for. And really, sometimes my favorite moments of these shows are the parts that go wrong. Mistakes are the best! That’s why I make a lot of them! It’s a live audience and actual human contestants, so there’s always plenty of room for strange things to happen.
                                                             -Jonathan Coulton writing about the podcast here

Release Schedule:  I have no idea!  There are 13 episodes for this first season, so they should all be released eventually!  Most likely a weekly release.   A new episode each week, with the release on Friday.

Music:  THEY HAVE JONATHAN COULTON.

So yes, there is music involved.  Coulton sings songs between the puzzles that provide clues to who the secret guest that appears at the end of the show will be.  And sometimes he just sings songs.

Unintentionally Good Part:  This podcast is like Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me but with a higher chance of hijinks.  The host, Puzzle Gurus and Jonathan Coulton can reliably provide the wit, while the puzzles and guest contestants keep things fresh.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  Sometimes the contestants are smarter than I am and figure out the answer before I can. 

Hey!:  Since I started writing this review, there's a new episode on the NPR site!  Let's go listen together, shall we?

I'm going to share something special with you, dear reader.  This podcast I'm about to review is from a small artist, kind of indie, that hasn't quite made his name known.  I don't know if it's humility, or a bashfulness that comes from not knowing how to market himself, but I'd love to give him whatever signal boost I can to get his work out to more people.

Let us review Penn Jillette's Penn's Sunday School.

Penn Jillette is, according to Wikipedia, a " Magician, illusionist, writer, actor, and inventor", not that he's going to brag about it.  He has a simple, understated approach to his public appearances and doesn't like to make a big fuss.  So far his reach has only extended to Broadway shows, Off Broadway Shows, The Simpsons, Dancing with the Stars, The Apprentice, films and all the books he's written.

And now he has a podcast.  He already had a previous audio show called Penn Radio which ended in 2007, but we're here to talk about the shiny new audio show!

Penn: 

Relevant Links:
Main Site
Subscribe via iTunes and there are plenty of other options on the main site for you to choose from
Ustream.tv Channel, where you can watch LIVE!!!
Episode Archive


Content Rating: Explicit.

Average Episode Length:  A little glance at the episodes show me that they're about 90 minutes, give or take about 10 minutes either way. 

Here's the pitch Penn's Sunday School has to offer:

Drinking Game:  Take a drink each time-

• Penn talks about Debbie Gibson
• A magic trick is referenced
• Someone tells a story involving bodily harm
• Monkeys are mentioned
• Penn gives a "seamless" segue into mentioning his advertisers

Release Schedule:  Every Sunday.  You can watch the podcast live on a video feed via their UStream channel, if that is your kind of thing.

Music:  There is an opening and ending theme and that's all save for some silly intros for topics.

Unintentionally Good Part:  Monkey Tuesday.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  If you are of a skeptic mindset, and wish for others to consider your viewpoints, this would not be a good starting point.  Penn is a gentleman and is more than willing to allow/consider/discuss alternate viewpoints on pretty much whatever, but this podcast is not a delicate place, and if he gets abrasive, it might turn people away without hearing any of your points. 

Unrelated rating:  Three minutes of Penn's laugh out of four.

Humor!  Magic!  Celebrities and listener contributions!  It's a cavalcade of awesome, go listen!

Heyheyhey.  Idea!  I'm going to review Ten Minute Podcast in


Great right?  Lemme type out the categories (and the links, because c'mon, give me a chance) and let's see how far I can get. 

Will Sasso (MADtv, The Three Stooges)!
Chris D'Elia (Whitney, Glory Daze)!
 and Bryan Callen (The Hangover, The Hangover Part II)!

Together, they made a podcast!  For some reason that I am not entirely sure of at the moment.  Freshly made this February, the fellas have been steadily building up an archive of funny blather for you to listen to.

Bryan Callen:  One's got long hair, the other no hair, they're my friends for life-
Chris D'Elia:  -what does the hair have to do with it-
Bryan Callen:  Chris wears glasses even though he doesn't need them~
                - Bryan Callen "singing" the end song.

Relevant Links:
Main site!
Twitter!
iPod for the downloadin'!

Average Episode Length: For once, a podcast appears to be taking the act of mentioning its length in the title seriously (looking at you Paul & Storm).  Dead on ten minutes! 

Music:  There is an intro song, and a nonspecific end song.

Content Rating:  Explicit and tagged as such in iTunes.  The topics can jump to places you don't expect, so if you're some sort of 1920s school marm, this might be 2 HAWT TO HANDLE.  The rest of us will be fine.
  

Bryan Callen:  You are Samoan.
Will Sasso:  I'm not Samoan.

Unintentionally Good Thing: Bryan Callen singing along to the end song music.

Unintentionally Bad Thing:  This podcast is focused like an arrow.  That has no feathers on the end to guide its flight.  And it's made of Jell-o instead of wood.  Aaaand instead of an arrowhead, there's a marshmallow Peeps somehow adhered to the Jell-o.

_______________

Time!  Okay, well, there you go!  Ten Minute Podcast sure is a podcast, and this sure was a review. 

GO LISTEN TO SOMETHING. 
I HAD TWO SODAS TODAY, THAT IS TWO MORE THAN I AM ALLOWED

[Play this little tune while you read the intro.  Much obliged, pardner.]



Relevant Links:
Control Point Main Site!
Get the podcast here!
Twitter!
Community!
Streaming Site?
YouTube Channel!
TF2 Servers!

Long, long ago, back when the Internet was still awash in the primordial soup of MySpace and Napster downloads, a Team Fortress 2 podcast began, and it was good.  A group of young, intrepid men came together with a song in their heart, a microphone set up in someone's computer room, and the dream to share their wishes and dreams with an audience that longed to hear them.

There were one hundred episodes that flowed like milk and honey across the land.  For years there were fan contributions, heated discussions about "honey pot" servers, and lots and lots and lots of inside-jokes.

And then they went away.  Some say they ascended into the aether, never to be seen again.

Five hundred and forty-one days later, they came back!  And it was around this point I realized I should probably write a review about them.

Average Episode Length:  Mercy, there's a lot of episodes to looks at.  I say...approximately an hour and fifteen minutes, as the crow flies. 

Brent "Chaos" Copeland, Wes "WesWilson" Wilson, and Eric "Nailhead" Fullerton. Spencer "Devilturnip" Williams (source: TF2 Wiki) are your proud-and-loud hosts for your Control Point experience.  Fans and players of  "America's #1 war-themed hat simulator" these guys know their way around TF2 like a Mola mola knows where to get its meals.  Episodes feature discussion about game play techniques, updates, recent changes to the game, community information, nitpicking over play-styles and damn near every facet of the game that can be talked about.   

Y'all, these guys run a tight ship of a podcast.  There are topics!  There is a number you can call and leave messages for the hosts!  They have bumpers to put in between topics!  There are returning guests!  Each episode is polished and professionally delivered straight to you with clear quality and good editing.  They host a chat room as they live-stream the podcast!  I think there are even a few dramatic episodes, people.  These guys mean business. 

Music:  A banging little intro that I enjoy, as well as a good outro.  Sometimes they play 1950s-esque music, and that makes me happy. 

Content Rating:  Mildly Explicit.  I believe that these gents keep the swears to a minimum, but I am not listening through the whole backlog (again) to make sure, so I'll hedge my bets.

Release Schedule:  According to their site, you can listen live every Sunday at 5.  New episodes posted each Wednesday.  I believe that when their schedule is awry, they throw out supplementary podcasts, so keep in touch with their site to see what's up. 

Unintentionally Good Part:  The fan-contributed content.  Most of it is mediocre, but every once in a while there is a true gem of awesome.

Unintentionally Bad Part:  God bless this community, because they really seem to support this podcast, but sometimes what they send in?  It hurts the ears.  I have had to mute this podcast on more than one occasion.  Fortunately these bits are super-easy to skip over and then you get back to the goodness! 

Team Fortress 2, podcasts, and hats.  Hats, hats, hats. 

Dear, sweet, [DEITY OF CHOICE] I love eating things that are horrible for me.  If it were up to the conspiracy that is the part of my brain that deals with pleasure and my tongue, I would eat nothing but junk food for the rest of my life.  I would become so innudated with BHT that I would have to be buried in a lead-lined coffin to prevent the Twinkies and Slim Jims that would sprout from the earth around my grave.

Snacks are so good!  What's your favorite snack?  I think mine might be Starbursts.  Happiness in a wax-coated wrapper.  Mmm.

Let's talk Mike and Tom Eat Snacks (MATES).

"On the Mike and Tom Eat Snacks podcast, if it's not already apparent, what you and I do is:  we pick a snack, each podcast, we eat it, we talk about it, we rate it.  End of podcast."

Relevant Links:
Main Site!
Get the podcast!
MATES Twitter!


This podcast combines Michael Ian Black, Tom Cavanagh and a sheer passion for snacks.  Each episode there is a snack, there is intense discussion, there is commentary and insight.  The hosts stay almost disturbingly on topic of discussing the episode's snack, but rest assured that they managed to sneak in plenty of tangents and conversational shenanigans. 

Music:  There is a jamming intro song.  They also have a soundboard, and are not afraid to use it.

"Oh, how you do me Mallomar, how you do me."

Content Rating:  Mildly Explicit.  I'm listening to the podcast now and to be honest, I can't find any specific uses of bad language.  However, the topics can wander into playing with ideas and stereotypes that you might not want to float out of your speakers at work.  Headphones are suggested in public places.

Average Episode Length:  A sample size of 8 episodes (randomly selected) gives us an average time of  thirty-nine minutes. 

I... man, I don't know what to say.  This podcast displays a stunningly earnest and singular attempt to bring snack foods into the mainstream discussion of the world. Packaging is mentioned, the quality of the snack food upon being removed from the packaging, appearance and aroma, the taste of the snack throughout the eating process, and any lingering, chemical aftertastes that might crop up.  And I honestly think you'll enjoy listening to all of this!

The pattern of the hosts' conversation takes an episode to get used to, so give it a few episodes to see if it is a good fit for you or not.  There are some fascinating theories and ratholes surrounding their ideas about snacks.  MATES is ready and willing to fill at least a half-hour of your day with its delightful ramblings.   

Drinking Game:  Drink whenever -

• You can hear a host chewing
• You find yourself nodding in agreement with one of their points about a snack
• EXPRESS MODE - Drink each time they rattle/crush/crinkle the packaging

Unintentionally Good Part:  I really, really just like listening to people talk about food.  It is almost like I'm eating it, but without the caloric intake.  Possible new diet fad?

Unintentionally Bad Part:  You will be unexpectedly upset the first time they are totally wrong in their opinion of the focal snack.  It will ruin your day until you go eat the snack they have spoken against, and restore its good graces in your mind.

Go forth to your listening devices and vending machines!

All right, I'm about to try something new.

(I'm scared too.)

This...is a debut review.  Yes, I just thought that up and yes, I agree on how stupid it sounds.  But that's all I could come up with so it is sticking and you can just hush up.

Let's dive in to the entire 1 episode of Humor Authority that currently exists, shall we?

Explorations on the theory and practice of humor... it's ambitious, it might fall apart, might be a huge mess.

Relevant Links:
Humor Authority Main site!
Kris Straub's Twitter
Kris Straub's Main site, where you can find links to all the things he does.
Store

First off, Kris Straub is a gol'dang Internet maven (and yes, I had to look up "maven" to make sure I knew what it meant).  Author/Creator/Colorer-Inner of several webcomics, co-creator of those wacky Blamimations, co-host of Webcomics Weekly and innovator when it comes to giving me the willies.  Given time I'm sure he'll head his own brand of microwave dinners and energy drinks, but until then, he makes awesome things like Humor Authority.

 Humor Authority is a podcast that sets out to investigate what makes funny things work.  The plan thus far appears to be that Straub will bring on a guest for each episode and engage them in an open conversation on their opinion and experiences with trying to make people laugh.  The interview style is loose and conversational, leaving Straub and his guest to roam wild and free along the vast plains of what is funny.  


The first (and only) episode features Ethan Nicolle, illustrator of Axe Cop.  This web comic is... actually, it is pretty funny and I highly recommend it, if not on the basis of how the story is written alone (via the artist's 5 year old brother).

NICOLLE: I want to say this as humble as possible but I think that me and you have a good grasp on humor in comics.  I don't know if I can say that, I'll say it about you and you can say it about me if you want to.

STRAUB:  I was gonna start this show with like, "You and I, both crown princes of humor, of the visual art of humor...

Release Schedule:  I have no friggen' clue.  IT IS A MYSTERY.

Average Episode Length:  Considering that there is one episode, the average time is fifty-four minutes and seventeen seconds.

Music:  Something nice at the start that is followed by something nice at the end.

Unexpectedly Good Part:  Welp, with only a single episode to try and suss this out of... I'd say... from what I can tell it appears the Straub is not limiting himself to a single type or genre of humor.  So rather than just interviewing comic artists or comedians or humor writers, there will be a big spread of thoughts and opinions from all across the grid of making people laugh.


Unexpectedly Bad Part:  Buh... um, the chance the the interview-heavy style of the show will most likely translate into a sluggish release schedule?

SO!  Now's your chance to get in on something that's just started and could go big.  Give the first episode a a chance, and if you like it then subscribe or let Straub know that he has an audience for the Humor Authority.  You're listening to the cutting edge of innovation, son!  And that's something to be proud of.

Probably.

 Once upon a time, long, long ago, some nerds invented the Internet.  Since then the Internet has long been known to be the realm of nerds and their kin.  Some of the major uses of the Internet include:

1. Amusing videos involving either adorable animals or people visiting grievous harm upon themselves.
2. Purchasing items of extreme value.
3. Distractions from worth-while projects.

And that's about it, right?  I think I summed up the main points.

Anyways, it turns out in 2010 some nerds set up a podcast called, go figure, The Nerdist. 

Chris:  Both my parents are sports fanatics and I did not get that gene, I can't be into something if I can't  participate in it, I don't understand it.
Jonah:  I'm resentful towards sport growing up because my dad played football, and he never really forced me to get into sports, but society did because of my size.  Like, every time I'd go to a new school its always like "Okay, you're going to play basketball because you're tall, you're going to play football..."
Chris:  My dad didn't force me to get into it, he just withheld food and hugs until I said that I wanted to put on a uniform.
Jonah:  You know you can go two weeks without a hug?  Scientifically?

Relevant Links:
Main Site
The Podcast via iTunes
Podcast Archive
The Nerdist Book!  That's pretty cool.
Wikipedia Page
Nerdist Twitter 

The Nerdist podcasts covers subjects which are, go figure, tucked within the realm of all things nerdy.  There's mention of table-top gaming, technology, Firefly and whatever topic they wander into.  Hosted by Web Soup's Chris Hardwick and his accomplishes Matt Mira and Jonah Ray, a trifecta of entertaining banter is formed between them.  According to their wikipedia pages, they are all practiced comedians and that really shines through in this podcast.  The hosts nimbly toss jokes back and forth, lining one another up for punch lines and working to get a laugh.  The touch of professionalism gives The Nerdist an edge over some of the other "friendly banter around a mic" podcasts because they have their comedic timing down from the first episode.  

To be honest (because transparency is just one of the core values of this blog) I've only listened to a handful of episodes from The Nerdist's mighty backlog.  From what I can tell it looks like one of the main draws for this podcast is a veritable plethora of guests hosts.  Taking a gander at the episodes it appears to be a fine stable of comedians, which I believe Chris mentioned in one of the later episodes were all basically friends of his.

So you can expect a typical episode to provide about an hour of friends, who happen to be comedians, making jokes and talking about things they like for an hour?  C'mon, that is the only selling point we need, people! 

Music:  The Nerdist theme song is by Anamanaguchi!  It if fully of blips and beeps and I find it charming.

Average Episode Length:   A husky podcast that clocks in at no less than forty minutes and manages to breach the two hour mark on occasion. 

Content Rating:  Explicit.  Some vulgaaaaar stuff sneaks in there. 

Unintentionally Good Part:  Episode 90, about 1:12:10 into it (just nearly the end).  There is a spontaneous song that pleased me greatly.  



Unintentionally Bad Part:  As it is with anything that features a variable that constantly changes, the guest hosts can provide and issue with your listening enjoyment.  One of the first episodes I listened to had a guest host that I did not like, and I almost dropped the podcast then and there.  Shop around, riffle through the archives to find the guest hosts you like, and delete the episodes you dislike.  Easy solution!

Nerds, talking about nerd-type subjects and cracking jokes all the while.  Give it a chance, I think you'll like it.  Nerds!

So hey guess what I just discovered Paul and Storm.

Yeah, I know, 2005 called and they want their Internet back. Shut up.

What have I discovered so far is that I like this song, Paul and Storm occasionally open for Jonathan Coulton, they've been featured on The Bob and Tom Show several times and their podcast is called Paul and Storm Talk About Some Stuff for Five to Ten Minutes (On Average).

Storm: I made butter a couple of nights ago.
Paul: You made butter, is that a euphemism?

Relevant Links:
Main Site Here!
Go here to get the Podcast!
Featured sub-page: the rules to give you an intro to the podcast.
Getchu some music here!
Wikipedia entry!
Paul & Storm Twitter!
Podcast archives!
Store!

So the title for this podcast is pretttttty accurate. It's Paul and it's Storm and they're talking about things. I'm about five episodes and some of the featured topics have been:

Felicia Day
Kittens
Hoping Felicia Day Notices Them
Culture-Grown Meat
Vacations to the Grand Canyon
Eating Habits
Pining for Felicia Day

I think I'm safe when I categorize this in the "nerd banter" field of podcasts.

Content Rating: Explicit. Curse-type words, possibly naughty-type content contained within.

Average Episode Length: Not five or ten minutes. Browsing through their archives show that most of the episodes run about twenty to forty minutes! Looks like their intentions of being a quick listen got push aside pretty quickly, but hey, more content for the devoted listener amirite?

I wanted a status check: did you, in fact, fall into a crevasse and die?

Drinking Game: Hm, these are always tricky. Drink whenever Paul and/or Storm says something that seems to honestly surprise Storm and/or Paul.

Release Schedule: A weekly podcast recorded Monday, released ASAP which usually ends up being Monday or Tuesday.

Music: To quote from their FAQ:

• The intro music will always be “The By Cracky Beat” from Lowney’s Chocolates. (Find the song and more info here)
• The outro music will always be “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” by the Tom-Terry Trio

Unintentionally Good Part: This podcast is a good "listen and" podcast. It doesn't require your entire attention, thus allowing you to listen and knit, listen and perform surgery, listen and toss sabers back and forth with a trusting friend, ect.

Unintentionally Bad Part: It is one more banter-style podcast on the Internet. There's a lot of them, and if you don't find a rapport with these two dudes you probably won't find this podcast interesting.

I'm still in the first stages of listening to this podcast, but I like it. Given time and a chance to learn Paul and Storm's personalities I bet it will be a podcast I stay subscribed to. I hope you'll give it a chance and check out their music as well!

Webcomics! Know 'em, love 'em, love to hate 'em, hate 'em, who cares? If you're a social invalid like myself you've got at least a dozen of them that you check each day and you may have even have deigned to buy a t-shirt or book.

But what if you're a social invalid that wants to make their own webcomic, possibly devoting and developing the skill, talent, dedication and understanding so that you can make a living as a professional cartoonist? You might want a little bit of a guiding light to help you figure out the long road ahead. You might want Webcomics Weekly.

Hosted by a quartet of some of the finest webcartoonists avaliable to host a podcast about webcomics, Webcomics Weekly consist of cartoonist on the web talking about webcomics to those who want to make webcomics and want to know more about webcomicry so that they can succeed with their own webcomics (webcomics).

Webcomics Weekly is a gol' dang font of information. The topics cover the creative and business end alike when it comes to making webcomics. Topics have included:

• Rulers
• How to ship merchandise
• Hand lettering vs. digital lettering
• Do's and Don'ts of conventions
• Feedback
  

There are four hosts, which provides the listener with different points of view and a variety of methods for everything they talk about.

Let's meet them, Tiger Beat style, shall we?

The Heartthrob: Kris Straub. He enjoys writing both Starslip and Chainsawsuit, long walks on the beach and listening to you talk about the drama that goes on during 5th period geometry.
The Bad Boy: Scott Kurtz. Will your sign match up with this fiesty gemini? Scott keeps himself lean and mean by letting you know exactly what's on his mind! Turn ons: understanding gutter size. Turn offs: girls that wear too much body glitter!!!!
The Cute One: Dave Kellett. Put your pencils down from this multiple-choice test on heart-breakers! Dave Kellett may have two Masters degrees but that doesn't keep him from wanting to learn all about you!
The Sweet One: Brad Guigar. Here's what Brad has to say about what makes him a fan favorite:

"Throughout life the way you approach something like that, the way you are able to receive something like is different. For example, if you're ten years old and your dad says something about your mother in a way that indicates that they're actually two married people and it's like "Ew, gross!" you don't want to see your dad kiss your mom or anything like that, it's gross when your ten. But then it's twenty years old and he makes a comment and it's like "Yeah, these are two married people, of course he's going to kiss mom... uh, I don't why I'm doing the whole 'kissing mom' thing... "

... thanks Brad!

Relevant Links:
Get the most recent episodes here.
Find the archives (episodes 1-39) here.
Check out each host's webcomic. I can verify the fact that, if you're me, you'll enjoy all of them.

Hey Look, Another Site:
Webcomics.com, a "tremendous resource of practical information for webcartoonists." This site is outside of my purview, but from what I can tell it features in-depth articles/tips/tricks from some of the leaders in webcomicry. It is subscription only, but if you're an actual webcartoonist go ahead and give it a look.

Content Rating: Majority Clean. Explicit episodes are tagged appropriately.

Average Episode Length: Most episodes will cost you about an hour of your time, give or take ten minutes. The longest episode is a mere five seconds shy of 140 minutes. The shortest episode clocks in at an adorable 31 minutes. Cootchie-coo, little episode!

Scott Kurtz: No, dolls and mannequins will come to life and kill you. That's a fact.
Kris Straub: Yeah, that's a given.
Brad Guigar: Mannequins too?
Scott Kurtz: Oh, yes.
Kris Straub: Why not? Why not, Brad? They're instinct with hellish life! They don't like that they've been made in our image but they can't move. They can't enjoy life! They just have to watch and they're miserable.
Scott Kurtz: And they're waiting for you to drop you guard.

Drinking Game: Take a drink each time syndication is mentioned. Drain your glass if it sets off a rant.

Release Schedule: Weekly-ish. Their track record is a bit spotty when it comes to maintaining the "weekly" part of the podcast. Lucky for you there is a huge backlog of episodes to keep you busy if they skip a week or two! Or three.

Music: Your choices in music vary from that one song every podcast uses with the two guitars that goes:

bink-bink-bink
deedle-eedle-deedle-lee
bink-bink
deedle-deedle-eedle-eedle

OR the one that goes:

woan-de-now
wonna-na-da-de-now
dooooow-de-wonna-won-wow
w0nna-wan-won
bwon-bwon-bwon-bwon

OR ONE OF THE OTHER SONGS THAT EVERY FRIGGEN PODCAST USES. COME ON, GUYS! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY JUST LICENSE SOMETHING ORIGINAL!

Unintentionally Good Part: Brad Guigar's laugh. It's like puppy dogs wrapped with rainbows.

Unintentionally Bad Part: To be fair, I can't peg down a "bad part" for this podcast. I listen to it for the personalities behind the mics. If you're an aspiring webcomic artist, I can't speak for whether or not the information and opinions offered are sound. This podcast serves a small audience; give it a try to see if it's worth your time.

As someone who has absolutely no investment in making a webcomic, I really enjoy this podcast for the personality of the hosts. Start at the beginning of their archive, give it a shot, maybe you'll enjoy it as well. Let me know in the comments!

Before I begin this review, let me draw your attention to one of the most important creative creations that human kind has ever created.

HALO.

Not just any Halo, but the Haloz. You've either played through one of its many iterations, been forced to watch as other people have played it or you are merely taking a break from playing it right now to rehydrate from screaming obscenities into your headset before you go back to playing it.

Some people have taken their fervor for this game to amazing heights, going so far as to recreate Master Chief's armor. A few have permanently marred themselves to show their devotion. At least one couple even got married by Master Chief.

Some people celebrate Halo as a part of their life. Some people build an empire on it. These some people be Rooster Teeth. Then these some people made a thing, which is also a podcast, which it called that Drunk Tank.
These some sentences no work too good. Halp!

Relevant Links:
Twitter
Main Site
Store!
Podcast!

After establishing themselves as the gods of machinima (a word that Firefox is unfamiliar with) they spread their digitally rendered wings and now they're all over the place with live action shorts, a comic based on their day-to-day hijinks, and forums just to name a few of their endeavors. Good thing they made this podcast because, seriously, what a bunch of slackers.

Burnie: "Have you ever in your life, Gus, ever had to figure out what the area under a parabola is?"
Gus: "No."
Burnie: "Has that come up once?"
Gus: "No, never."
Burnie: "So they're literally teaching us things that we don't need to know.
Gus: "Nope, no need for that."
Burnie: "Volume of a cylinder? Ever come up?"
Gus: "Uh-once. Once. And not too long ago."
Burnie: "What for, condoms?"

The Drunk Tank podcast consists of the main pillars of the Rooster Teeth Productions crew talking. And talking. And then yelling at each other before they go back to just talking. Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Joel Heyman, Geoff Ramsey, Griffon Ramsey and Gustavo Sorola serve as the main hosts. Occasionally an intern is thrown into the mix to give Gus someone to yell at. Discussion ranges from video games, recounting stories from life, movies, alcohol and anything else that comes to mind.

Drunk Tank broaches such topics as:

• Poisonous spiders and the recognition of them
• Those Lava Cake things you can get from Dominos
• Removing holy cards that had been buried in your yard
• Airlines and flying habits
  

Content Rating: Explicit. Swear words just flyin' around all over the place.

Average Episode Length: My highly scientific method of "squinting at iTunes" reveals that the average length is around an hour. There is a week long series of shorter episodes, so let's just exclude those shall we?

Drinking Game: It is a podcast called Drunk Tank. I trust you can come up with something, people.

Release Schedule: Weekly, with a new episode released each Wednesday! A delightful mid-week treat.

Music: This is where it gets interesting. What began as a contest to select a permanent theme song has morphed into a weekly showcase of fan-made opening songs. Some of the songs are exquisite and hilarious (see episodes 11, 34, 35 and 81) and many many many many many many songs are so bad I have to turn the volume all the way down until they're over. I'm always loathe to express my dislike of fan-created content, but honestly! There is a massive distance between "It has been confirmed by outside sources that I am capable of singing" and "A microphone came with my computer." I'm also throwing out this caveat: there is amateur rapping. Consider yourself warned.

Unintentionally Good Part: This podcast falls under the subcategory of "friends talking to each other" which means that there will be parts when no host can talk because they are paralyzed with laughter. It is safe to assume that you will suffer the same fate as well, so try to make sure you're sitting on the floor if you feel an impending rofl fit.

Unintentionally Bad Part: Other than the listener submitted opening songs? This podcast is banter, banter, banter and occasionally the topic will fall onto something you have absolutely NO interest in whatsoever. And then it will remain there for forty minutes.