Bucho

+2 to the "please don't clue guests in on Chart Roulette/Goose/Chicken/Honey Badger".

The first rule of characters is "Don't do a character who's already wildly compelling in real life". It's fine to do dullards like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cake Boss but taking on a Legend Of Humanity who radiates titanic Teutonic gravitas like Werner Herzog is a terrible, terrible idea because your performance will be overshadowed by the towering genius of the real person. Paul F F Tompkins is the exception to that rule. Because he's actually magical.

The first rule of characters is "Don't do a character who's already wildly compelling in real life". It's fine to do dullards like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cake Boss but taking on a Legend Of Humanity who radiates titanic Teutonic gravitas like Werner Herzog is a terrible, terrible idea because your performance will be overshadowed by the towering genius of the real person. Paul F F Tompkins is the exception to that rule. Because he's actually magical.

Lots of laughs and lots of charts, that's how I like my Who Charted. I like that not every guest brings the same vibe to the studio as long as they're entertaining. Variety is the spice of charts and episode 41 was another Numberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ONE!

Lots of laughs and lots of charts, that's how I like my Who Charted. I like that not every guest brings the same vibe to the studio as long as they're entertaining. Variety is the spice of charts and episode 41 was another Numberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ONE!

Pop quiz Wolfpals/Wolfgangstas - . 1. How many of these contestant shows had you heard of before The Earwolf Challenge launched? 2. How many were you a regular listener to? 3. Has discovering any of these shows through The Earwolf Challenge lead you to check out a full episode of one or more of the contestants? 4. What was your impression of the first full episode you heard? 5. Did you enjoy it enough for it convince you to become a regular listener? If so, do you remember (roughly) how far into the episode you made it before you were hooked? 6. Do you think the contestant has done a good job in choosing their short Earwolf Challenge clips as an accurate representation of their show?

1. The only one I knew of before the Challenge began was TOTALLY LAIME, which I'd discovered because they'd cunningly invited Jesse Thorn on their show and I was stalking him. 2. None. 3. Checked out 4 full eps each of TOTALLY LAIME, LITTLE DUM DUM CLUB, BOB & DAN CAST and THE F PLUS and two of LEFT HANDED RADIO and BEGINNINGS. 4. TL and LDDC - Ok but forgettable. B&D - Made me laugh and curious to hear more. F+ - Creeped me out and made me laugh. LHR - About 75% really funny, clever sketches, 25% honest efforts that didn't land. BEGINNINGS - Bad sound but good conversation. 5. I now listen regularly to LEFT HANDED RADIO and was hooked by 5 minutes in. BOB & DAN, F PLUS and BEGINNINGS I listen to on and off. 6. TL, LDDC and LHR did. B&D and F PLUS not so much. BEGINNINGS never got out of the starting blocks.

1. The only one I knew of before the Challenge began was TOTALLY LAIME, which I'd discovered because they'd cunningly invited Jesse Thorn on their show and I was stalking him. 2. None. 3. Checked out 4 full eps each of TOTALLY LAIME, LITTLE DUM DUM CLUB, BOB & DAN CAST and THE F PLUS and two of LEFT HANDED RADIO and BEGINNINGS. 4. TL and LDDC - Ok but forgettable. B&D - Made me laugh and curious to hear more. F+ - Creeped me out and made me laugh. LHR - About 75% really funny, clever sketches, 25% honest efforts that didn't land. BEGINNINGS - Bad sound but good conversation. 5. I now listen regularly to LEFT HANDED RADIO and was hooked by 5 minutes in. BOB & DAN, F PLUS and BEGINNINGS I listen to on and off. 6. TL, LDDC and LHR did. B&D and F PLUS not so much. BEGINNINGS never got out of the starting blocks.

I'd like to echo, with significantly less weight obviously, everything Scottabot said about Matt Besser being a superduperuberentertaining AND educational host. YES, his loosey goosey Socratesey style hasn't always meant the judging discussion was 100% clear on every episode, but also YES I don't really care just because all-in-all he's an hilarious genius. Not that a buffoon like me bestowing the "genius" tag means a damn thing, but Hot Saucerman said it too in a manner of speaking so it must be true. In the Suggestion thread I mouthed off saying that doubling the regular judges and having Matt play kind of a "colour commentary" role rather than "anchor host" could be an improvement but that wasn't because I didn't enjoy Besser as anchor, it was because he'd said he didn't enjoy playing that role and I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM. There. I said it. Also, hearty congrats to TOTALLY LAIME and I hope you two set the podcasting world alight from your new, awesome platform right here at Earwolf. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!!!

I'd like to echo, with significantly less weight obviously, everything Scottabot said about Matt Besser being a superduperuberentertaining AND educational host. YES, his loosey goosey Socratesey style hasn't always meant the judging discussion was 100% clear on every episode, but also YES I don't really care just because all-in-all he's an hilarious genius. Not that a buffoon like me bestowing the "genius" tag means a damn thing, but Hot Saucerman said it too in a manner of speaking so it must be true. In the Suggestion thread I mouthed off saying that doubling the regular judges and having Matt play kind of a "colour commentary" role rather than "anchor host" could be an improvement but that wasn't because I didn't enjoy Besser as anchor, it was because he'd said he didn't enjoy playing that role and I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM. There. I said it. Also, hearty congrats to TOTALLY LAIME and I hope you two set the podcasting world alight from your new, awesome platform right here at Earwolf. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!!!

I love that the criteria for the round is super clear now. Sure for the finale it's a very broad criteria, but that's fine. I just love that it's clear. I love it with all my heart. Tommy's machine gun chatter assault starts to wear on me a little if I listen to LDDC for too long, not because he doesn't have entertaining things to say but because he talks as if the world is about to end and he's trying to fit 70 years of future into a mere half hour. I guess that's at the heart of the zoo radio comparison - it's as if he feels like he has to get everything in before the next ad break. When he mentioned he doesn't drink coffee I nearly spat mine out because he comes across like he mainlines caffeine. And yet, by the criteria, I prefered LDDC's entry this week. Totally Laime are more my speed but LDDC are more my funny and overall I prefer a show that's a bunch of laughs about wild nonsense to a show that's a pleasant chat about sweet nothings.

I love that the criteria for the round is super clear now. Sure for the finale it's a very broad criteria, but that's fine. I just love that it's clear. I love it with all my heart. Tommy's machine gun chatter assault starts to wear on me a little if I listen to LDDC for too long, not because he doesn't have entertaining things to say but because he talks as if the world is about to end and he's trying to fit 70 years of future into a mere half hour. I guess that's at the heart of the zoo radio comparison - it's as if he feels like he has to get everything in before the next ad break. When he mentioned he doesn't drink coffee I nearly spat mine out because he comes across like he mainlines caffeine. And yet, by the criteria, I prefered LDDC's entry this week. Totally Laime are more my speed but LDDC are more my funny and overall I prefer a show that's a bunch of laughs about wild nonsense to a show that's a pleasant chat about sweet nothings.

@Brodie- Seriously?

@Brodie- Seriously?

Myq Kaplan!

Myq Kaplan!

LEE KREMER, episode 40 "I watched the two movies I've seen, in the last ten years, is ... um ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off ... and ... uhh ... that's it." "I'm crushing it ... this Cliff Bar has no chance against me ... my upper teeth is show, my lower teeth is business ... and the Cliff Bar is my brother getting gnawed into oblivion ... the only reason I don't spit you out is because John Hamm might come in here and accidentally get some of you on his shoe."

LEE KREMER, episode 40 "I watched the two movies I've seen, in the last ten years, is ... um ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off ... and ... uhh ... that's it." "I'm crushing it ... this Cliff Bar has no chance against me ... my upper teeth is show, my lower teeth is business ... and the Cliff Bar is my brother getting gnawed into oblivion ... the only reason I don't spit you out is because John Hamm might come in here and accidentally get some of you on his shoe."

Did anyone suggest Something About Mary and Freddy Got Fingered's own HARLAND WILLIAMS yet? Not only is he a hilarious champion of silliness and flights of fancy of the highest order but he's a podcaster, a movie star and a musician who's played in a band with his cousin, a Canadian rock god called Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies.

Did anyone suggest Something About Mary and Freddy Got Fingered's own HARLAND WILLIAMS yet? Not only is he a hilarious champion of silliness and flights of fancy of the highest order but he's a podcaster, a movie star and a musician who's played in a band with his cousin, a Canadian rock god called Kevin Hearn from Barenaked Ladies.

"I watched the two movies I've seen, in the last ten years, is ... um ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off ... and ... uhh ... that's it." "I'm crushing it ... this Cliff Bar has no chance against me ... my upper teeth is show, my lower teeth is business ... and the Cliff Bar is my brother getting gnawed into oblivion ... the only reason I don't spit you out is because John Hamm might come in here and accidentally get some of you on his shoe."

"I watched the two movies I've seen, in the last ten years, is ... um ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off ... and ... uhh ... that's it." "I'm crushing it ... this Cliff Bar has no chance against me ... my upper teeth is show, my lower teeth is business ... and the Cliff Bar is my brother getting gnawed into oblivion ... the only reason I don't spit you out is because John Hamm might come in here and accidentally get some of you on his shoe."

I've been thinking strengthening the backbone of the show with two regular judges and having the single rotating guest in the third seat would make the show stronger and more consistent and, therefore, more satisfying too. Matt has said he doesn't like being the Seacresty "anchor" type judge, so why not bring in someone who could do that and let Matt and his diabolical mind run more freely? I know Scott's a busy sonofagun but he'd be my first choice. Clear criteria is vital. Like Matt and several other judges have said over the last couple of months - make sure the audience doesn't get lost. EVERY week you're judging comedy podcasts the number one question the judges ask themselves should be "How funny was it?". Maybe even give each a grade from A-F or 1-5 stars or something. Movie and music critics use grades as a component of their communication in order to be as clear as possible, why not comedy critics too? Maybe it's just crazy enough to work and would have the added bonus of generating even more forum discussion in the same way movie nerds like to argue over movie ratings and give their own ratings. The "why was this funny or not funny" part of the discussion where Matt and other experienced pros dissect the entries is where the meat/gold/meaty gold of each episode is at, but the part of the contest where one is evaluated relative to the others still needs to be communicated in the clearest way possible.

I've been thinking strengthening the backbone of the show with two regular judges and having the single rotating guest in the third seat would make the show stronger and more consistent and, therefore, more satisfying too. Matt has said he doesn't like being the Seacresty "anchor" type judge, so why not bring in someone who could do that and let Matt and his diabolical mind run more freely? I know Scott's a busy sonofagun but he'd be my first choice. Clear criteria is vital. Like Matt and several other judges have said over the last couple of months - make sure the audience doesn't get lost. EVERY week you're judging comedy podcasts the number one question the judges ask themselves should be "How funny was it?". Maybe even give each a grade from A-F or 1-5 stars or something. Movie and music critics use grades as a component of their communication in order to be as clear as possible, why not comedy critics too? Maybe it's just crazy enough to work and would have the added bonus of generating even more forum discussion in the same way movie nerds like to argue over movie ratings and give their own ratings. The "why was this funny or not funny" part of the discussion where Matt and other experienced pros dissect the entries is where the meat/gold/meaty gold of each episode is at, but the part of the contest where one is evaluated relative to the others still needs to be communicated in the clearest way possible.

Every tenth show should be a show with Lee as guest from now on. Or at least every twentieth show.