Pod-Fascination: The Complete Guide To Everything And The Video Podcast Network

Pod-Fascination is a weekly column about podcasts you should be paying attention to.

The Complete Guide To Everything
Well, truthfully, not everything, just the things that Tim Daniels and Tom Reynolds have experienced. But, lucky for the listeners, they usually have anecdotes to talk about many topics including moving, internships, Richard Marx concerts, dating, and technology. Both Tim and Tom not only have great chemistry with each other, they are skilled at telling stories about even the most mundane activities. I think the art of storytelling is what separates the good podcasts from the bad, and TCGTE is more than two friends talking about everything; it's a peek inside insightful conversations between friends, who know the value of getting a bit goofy at times.

Not only do the hosts cover a certain topic, there are occasional recurring segments, including my very favorite segment ever "That Asshole You Didn't Know Existed Until The New York Times Pointed Them Out To You," a discussion of the often frivolous and unnecessary profiles from the Times' Style section.

TCGTE is also unique among comedy podcasts because there are no guests on the show, it is always just the two hosts. I find this refreshing, because I've often skipped episodes of podcasts because of a guest I know I don't care for. With The Complete Guide To Everything, you always know you'll get a quality episode.

Video Podcast Network
In other podcast news, the Video Podcast Network (VPN) started streaming live video of podcasts recorded in front of an audience during the Sundance film festival. I thought this was just for the occasion of Sundance, but the Earwolf network started releasing in-studio videos of Comedy Bang Bang.

Obviously, this negates the very concept of a podcast, but it is interesting to see the dynamics and performances of the character actors. I'm curious to see how this pans out. I recommend watching (or at least listening) to this week's episode of CBB, featuring Jon Daly as the character Bill Cosby Bukowski who is a combination of, you guessed itm Bill Cosby and Charles Bukowski.

Pod-Fascination: Weird Adults With Little Esther And Comedy Bang Bang

Each week, I recommend my favorite podcasts.

Weird Adults With Little Esther
The Feral Audio podcast network has grown exponentially in the last few months, adding podcasts from such well-established comedians as Chelsea Perretti, Steve Agee, and Brody Stevens. Unlike other podcast networks, the Feral Audio podcasts seem to allow each guest to take full creative control of their podcasts; the podcasts reflect an open conversation between the hosts and their guests and can lead anywhere, from music to life, to career, or bodily fluids.

One such podcast is Weird Adults With Little Esther (comedian Esther Povitsky). I relate to Esther as a fellow somewhat neurotic Jewish girl. Something you have probably picked up if you regularly read this column is the podcasts I enjoy the most are the ones where the guests are their most "real" and reveal insecurities and emotions. Esther certainly does not hold back from this, and can always find an obscure example from her life to help relate to her guest. Having only discovered Weird Adults recently, I've only listened to a handful of episodes, and I feel I know a lot about Esther's feelings about her family, dating, and her career. I am tempted to use the word quirky, but Zooey Deschanel has sort of co-opted that characteristic at the moment. Esther is not quirky in the obnoxious Zooey way, but in a "I want to hear her reaction to that" kind of way. Living as a woman trying to make it in comedy in LA, she has a lot of vulnerable feelings to share. She's someone who deserves success in the comedy world, and the fact that she continues to do it among all the bullshit is an inspiration to us creative types. I'll proudly admit I have a total friend crush on her.

Pod-Fascination: The 12 Best Podcast Episodes Of 2012, Part Two

For the last few months, I've been recommending quality podcasts. In the spirit of the year's end, I'm highlighting the single episodes that I enjoyed the most. As I have mentioned before, I listen to primarily comedy podcasts, so there are obviously thousands of other episodes released this year. Leave your favorite episodes in the comments!

Here's Part One in case you missed it. 

6. It's That Episode 5: Adam Lustick/Hey Dude – Rainmen
It's That Episode seems like a podcast that was made specifically with me in mind. New York-based performer/writer Craig Rowin invites people to watch an episode of anything they want and discuss it. On episode #5 in February, Craig and guest Adam Lustick watch the old Nickelodeon staple Hey Dude and marvel at its low production values, insane racism, and their teenage crushes on Bradley and Melody. It's surprising that this show even existed, but hey, I blame the '90s; lots of crap made it to air. The best part of watching old episodes is that it leads to discussions about awkward childhoods, one of my favorite topics.

5. The Fogelnest Files Episode 11: J J J Is For Julie!
Pop culture kingpin Jake Fogelnest usually curates an eclectic assortment of weird retro YouTube clips, but in the episode with Julie Brown, he shows clips as a way to showcase her career. Those of you who who were the prime demographic for MTV in the '90s will remember Just Say Julie and the amazing Earth Girls Are Easy. Brown is a pioneer for women in comedy and hearing the "insider" news of working for MTV in the nineties is a pop culture connoisseur's dream.

4. Ronna And Bevery Episode 32 : Not Personal With Steve Agee
Stand-up comedian Steve Agee is always a delight, because he's able to be hilariously excited about a topic as well as self-deprecating and cynical. When working with characters like Ronna and Beverly, making it work means "playing along" with the characters, and he certainly does in this episode. Silliness ensues when he admits he's going commando on Ronna's expensive sofa in her home in Marbelhead, MA, and Beverly's confusion over booking a gay cruise is "classic" Beverly.

First Look at Comedy Bang! Bang!

After Friday's season finale of Portlandia (can't believe it's already over!), we were treated to a preview of a new comedy talk show, Comedy Bang Bang. For those of you that are not quite the connoisseur of the comedic arts like I am, allow me to explain to you why you should care.

The show is based on the highly regarded Comedy Bang Bang podcast, the flagship show of the Earwolf podcast network. Comedy Bang Bang is hosted by Scott Aukerman, former writer for Mr. Show. The great thing about Aukerman is that he is a talented curator of comedy; by himself, he may not be the most hilarious, but he brings together the perfect people in the perfect situation to create a perfectly hilarious situation. The podcast has no set format. Aukerman will have notable guests from the world of alternative comedy (frequent guests are Adam Scott, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman) play the "straight man" (are you keeping up with my comedy terms?) to another comedian who will come in and interact with them as a brilliantly over-the-top character. Notable characters are impressions of Andrew Lloyd Weber (as seen in the clip below played by the ubiquitous Paul F. Tompkins), Gary Busey, Dov Charney (smarmy American Apparel owner), Bill Cosby Bukowski (my personal fave), as well as other quirky characters like a man auditioning for Sha Na Na and a perverted theater directors (played by the comedic genius Andy Daly).