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Shakesbeard

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Posts posted by Shakesbeard

  3. Posted

    What a wild response to this episode in general. The fact that so much discourse has been generated says a lot about the topic and the fans.

     

    With sybarite we get another first-poster with a lot to say on the matter.

     

     

    When Matt talks about the media reaction, I don't buy into that argument because it's a false equivalency. The media is supposed to be there to find and report facts, I4H is using this situation to mine out comedy and entertainment, those are apples and oranges.

    You're right, the media is SUPPOSED to be there to find and report facts, but when they all jump on the wagon to get the best sound byte from a fucking child, I mean ALL news outlets made a show of interviewing kids in a crazy insensitive fashion, that it in and of itself made it a clown show. I'd say it was part "news-searching" and part pandering. If it WAS just about finding and reporting facts then why were reporters stationed ALL day and continuing to report when no new information was coming? They repeated themselves and thought of ways to keep their ratings up. News IS entertainment, at least these days anyway and it's a shame. So instead of apples and oranges it's more like oranges and clementines.

     

    At around 1:19 Matt and co. talk about "taste" again but I4H is still trying to make comedy out of a situation where 20 children and 6 adults were murdered the day after it happened. I4H is essentially making fun of a mass shooting. Is there no time in our culture anymore to be solemn and to grieve for a moment? Then, I think Matt mentions that the idea of waiting after an event to make comedy from it is "dangerous" but he doesn't say why, so I'm not buying into that idea.

    You missed the point and maybe you don't understand how comedy works for a lot of performers. It can be very different for a creator of comedy vs. a receiver of comedy. A good performer usually processes these things through the medium they know to achieve catharsis. The action of working through this in an act is a method of mourning for performers. I think it was brought up in the podcast that what if a painter did a piece based on Sandy Hook? Where do you draw the line? It's really all or nothing. and nothing is absolutely not a choice. They even said its not making fun OF the mass shooting, but all the wild and crazy bullshit, a lot of the variables, that surrounded it

     

     

    Trying to call the caller out because he only mentioned the Sklar bros. as not covering the shooting is ridiculous because I4H is assuming the caller listens to every podcast.

    But you DO realize how ridiculous the caller's original statement was, right? "Hey, thanks for not talking about that thing you mentioned that you said you wouldn't talk about. That takes guts." (paraphrased)

     

    The caller is entitled to his opinion even though it isn't flattering to you. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's an interplay between artist and audience. If you don't want any criticism, turn the mics off.

    You contradict yourself here. Yes, it's an interplay between artist and audience. The caller IS entitled to his opinion, but you're arguing that Besser isn't entitled to challenge that opinion further. That's bullshit.

     

    If Matt had a kid in Sandy Hook who had been murdered, he wouldn't have done the scene.

    I don't know about that. I can't speak for Besser, but I think you're wrong.

     

     

    Matt wants to mine comedy out of a tragedy and it's all fun and games because he isn't personally affected by it, so play ball.

    Though you may be technically right in this case, you're wrong overall because obviously you haven't listened to i4h much at all. Otherwise you'd know that he does have a segment "Letters from Matt Besser's Dead Dad" where he mines comedy from the life of his father as a direct means of coping from something that personally affects him. I'm sure it's been cathartic for him, and it sure as hell has delivered some wonderful comedy.

  5. Posted

    I felt the exact opposite of the caller when that episode first aired. In fact, I commend Besser for doing something so "soon" and having it relate directly to the tragic events. I just remember a LOT of people/comedians saying things like "in respect for the tragedy and grieving families, we're not going to put out our comedy" or something very similar, and the kicker was that their comedy had nothing to do with the tragedy or could be perceived as even remotely insensitive, but the act and claim seemed just as insensitive to me. It upset me (now I sound like a jerk) that people were acting like the only response was to grieve, to set aside comedy, when really that's when we needed to laugh the most. For i4h to do it so soon (recorded the day after) and to deal directly around the events as some sort of... catharsis, was absolutely spectacular and I felt that episode to be in particularly good taste.

     

    I like your willingness to bring people on the show, and I would love to be on just to spitball or share discourse, but holy shit do I not want to take the path that would actually lead me to being on the show because I would have to piss Besser off or make a fool of myself. Fuck that press.

     

    Great episode this week, and though it may seem like the "Case Closed" segment may have overshadowed much of the show, I love that you immediately jumped into a scene after hanging up with the dude and ending on a hell of a funny, positive and high note.

     

     

    I've listened to every episode, all but two of them several times over. .

     

    That sounds oddly specific, "all but two." Which 2 episodes are you referring to? Is one of them this one considering you said you hadn't listened to it yet?

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    I didn't find the discussion about money as "tacky" in the slightest, but quite fascinating. I've always been interested in how things work "behind the scenes" and could listen to you guys talk about it for hours on end. I was very surprised how quick that borderline hour-long discussion was up, because I was so immersed. I also have a bizarre fascination with funny people NOT "sticking to the funny" and talking about real shit that is important to them. Thank you for letting us get a glimpse behind the curtain, and I shall be looking forward to the next "Ask the UCB"

    • Like 2

  9. Posted

    This isn't exactly "funny" but is just another bizarre twist to the Manti Te'o catfish saga.

     

    Manti Te'o Hoaxer (Roniah Tuiasosopo) tells Dr. Phil he was "deeply and romantically" in love with Te'o. Bonus points for a short audio clip of Tuiasosopo's voice as Lennay Kekua. The video sucks and is out of sync with the audio, but it shouldn't matter for just the audio's sake.

     

    http://youtu.be/l1I2r2f5E1s

  11. Posted

    This really only pertains to those films that have well known, or popular "theme" songs, if you will. It'd be interesting to see some of them piggybacked onto the movies you review, the only problem is that most of the "well known" songs come from movies you probably wouldn't review.

     

    Examples:

    Bruce Springsteen: "Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia, "Secret Garden" from Jerry Maguire

    Coolio: "Gangsta's Paradise" - Dangerous Minds

    Will Smith: "Men in Black" from, well you know.

    Seal: "Kiss From a Rose" - Batman Forever

    Tina Turner: "We Don't Need Another Hero" - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

    Sixpence None The Richer: "Kiss Me" - She's All That

    Evanescence: "Bring Me to Life" - Daredevil

    R. Kelly: "I Believe I Can Fly" - Space Jam

    Aerosmith: "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" - Armageddon

    Kenny Loggins: :"Footloose" - Footloose

    Chad Kroeger: "Hero" - Spider-Man

    Eminem: "Lose Yourself" - 8 Mile

     

    etc. and the list goes on.

  12. Posted

    Kevin Bacon's angry dancing and smoking, a montage of teaching Chris Penn rhythm. Jon Lithgow. What more needs to be said!

     

    Oh, also the wonderful tractor chicken scene where Kevin Bacon only wins because he can't get his "foot loose" from the pedal. Super Meta.

  15. Posted

    I think Matt Besser has officially knocked Odenkirk out of the Most Hilarious Yell category.

     

    Oooh, that's a tough one. Bob has the incredible ability to go 0-60 in the blink of an eye, but Bobby O seems to run pretty high in general. Matt's laid-back voice/demeanor definitely make HIS yells a lot more special.

     

    Another sweet episode. It's hard to give constructive feedback when I love everything about the shows. I just wish I could stay on the ball when Matt tweets for one word suggestions. I always seem to notice a solid hour after he asks, which is when the podcast is typically over anyway.

  17. Posted

    First of all Jeff, I'd like to give you a compliment. Here is said compliment: I think it's great that you take the time out to respond to so many questions from the fans on the forum, no matter how mundane they may be. It's swell that there's somebody making the effort to communicate with us and maintain a good relationship with us, it goes a long way and it shows that you care. It certainly reflects your attitude and professionalism, even when just answering which foods you like. End of compliment.

     

    I got a couple questions for you, and you're probably backed up enough as it is so no real hurry.

     

    For "By The Way" I know I heard that Garlin already had previously recorded these conversations, so is his podcast a "limited run" so to speak where the podcast ends after he posts all the conversations he's already had, or do you know of any plan to have more conversations to continue on?

     

    Also, forgive me if this is obvious because I just haven't done the research, but is there a physical address you can give out for the Earwolf studios? I'd like to write and send out some physical hand-written fan-mail to a couple folks. And to follow that up, would each person have a separate 'area' or address to specify, or could I just send something into the main office with the person's name on it and trust that it will get where it needs to be?

     

    Thank you for your time and keep up all the wonderful work at Earwolf.

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