Episode 100 — Best of improv4humans Vol. 3

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Join us in celebration of the 100th episode of the greatest podcast in the universe with some of your favorite improv4humans scenes featuring Seth Morris, Mookie Blaiklock, Will McLaughlin, Zack Pearlman, Adam Pally, John Gemberling, Mike Still, Joel Spence, Stephanie Allynne, Ben Siemon, Matt Walsh, Paul Rust, Maria Bamford, Charlie Sanders, Rob Huebel, Jon Gabrus, Amy Poehler, Joe Hartzler, Eugene Cordero, Pamela Murphy, and Billy Merritt. Plus, Matt takes us behind the scenes on the greatest scene of the year simply known as “Tom Petty’s Beard.” Humans of Los Angeles, improv4humans will be a part of the LA Podcast Festival on October 5th! Go to http://lapodfest.com for tickets! You can also now get the UCB Comedy Improv Manual at http://ucbstore.com/books/the-upright-citizens-brigade-comedy-improvisation-manual, Matt Besser’s new comedy album at mattbesser.com, and Dragoon’s new album at dragoongalaxy.bandcamp.com!

[PuncturedJesus 354]

Tom Petty's Beard is something that pops in my head constantly. Scene of the year indeed.

[VampiresVampiresVampires 303]

Thank you Mookie.

[PuncturedJesus 354]

Small complaints: Nothing with Lauren Lapkus or Ian Roberts, and that the Todd Glass carnival game didn't make the cut.

 

Loved the interview at the end.

 

Wow, episode 95 really dominated this and the best of What's Bothering You.

 

Best of 4 SOON.

[YoRudy 36]

Congrats to Mr. Besser, Earwolf, and all the improvisers on 100 amazing episodes. I've been listening since the very beginning, and it is always a highlight of my week - absolutely one of the best podcasts in the universe. Not sure if this has been shown off yet, but here's a screenshot I took of when the iTunes store was promoting an episode with Amy Poehler in it. Yay improve4humans!

 

[MattCameron 595]

Congrats to Mr. Besser, Earwolf, and all the improvisers on 100 amazing episodes. I've been listening since the very beginning, and it is always a highlight of my week - absolutely one of the best podcasts in the universe. Not sure if this has been shown off yet, but here's a screenshot I took of when the iTunes store was promoting an episode with Amy Poehler in it. Yay improve4humans!

 

 

Totally different podcast. That's Amy's podcast where she teaches humans how to improve.

 

But in all seriousness, Matt, thank you for all of the great laughs you've provided over the past 100 weeks. I too have been a listener since episode 1 and the evolution of this podcast has been great to see. Truly the best podcast in the universe (i.e., you did it).

[nathanpierce 400]

Thank you Matt and company for 100 (and some bonus ones in between) hilarious episodes, and these were truly the highlights from the past couple of months. Tom Petty's Beard was truly a work a genius. A few things that didn't make it I was upset about, but the ones that did make it were so classic that I wasn't really bothered. Great collection. Zzzzsimply a wonderful podcast, this Improve4Humans!

[wo 265]

I love how long Paul Rust tries to get them to say anything during the Tom Petty's Beard sketch.

[klemjohansen 748]

Even after all these months, I still hate that smug videogame kid so, so, so much.

[Shannon 2953]

I really loved the phone calls to break down the "Tom Petty's Beard" scene but I felt like I totally understood where Paul was coming from. After the clip, the consensus was that it would suck to go to a concert that got canceled because the performer's hat was stolen. Therefore, the Tom Petty concert was ruined by beard stealing. I get it. I get you, Paul.

 

HAPPY 100 EPISODES!

[IforgotAbout19 47]

Happy 100th to the - best - p-podcast innnnn....thah.....youniverse.

[Syme 548]

I really loved the phone calls to break down the "Tom Petty's Beard" scene but I felt like I totally understood where Paul was coming from. After the clip, the consensus was that it would suck to go to a concert that got canceled because the performer's hat was stolen. Therefore, the Tom Petty concert was ruined by beard stealing. I get it. I get you, Paul.

 

HAPPY 100 EPISODES!

 

Yeah I was going to say, they seemed to act like it was a complete non-sequitur, but it had a logic to it, a very silly logic but I could see what he was going for.

 

And if someone stole my beard, I would be fucking mad.

[JacobCrites 4977]

Whereas the past two Best-Ofs were great ways for newcomers to get into the show, this one felt like it was more for the fans. Except for the last sketch, most of these scenes were filled with callbacks.

 

ALSO: We absolutely NEED more behind-the-scenes stuff for favorite sketches. That was so awesome.

[KajusX 1807]

Even when the youtube clip started of the concert with the stolen hat, somehow I was blissfully unaware of the sketch that came out of it, like my mind had completely reset itself.

Then when they started in on the Tom Petty concert, my eyes went wide with recognition. I loved that sketch and Paul’s turnaround as Petty in the flashback so much that I even transcribed that exchange in the episode’s messageboard. “HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS SKETCH?!”

 

I was happy just hearing the sketch again, silently laughing until tears in my cubicle where I am sitting as I type this. But then! To have Matt and Paul and John dissect the scene and attempt to recount their improv steps was such an absolute delight. Thank you so much for that, you guys!

 

In honor of this great, cagey improv sketch, I am now copying and pasting my initial transcription of the inciting incident:

 

Paul: "It's not like his BEARD fell off, did it?"

Matt: "What?"

Paul: "It's not like halfway into the first song his BEARD fell off, I mean, that didn't happen, did it?"

Matt: "No."

Paul: "Ok ok ok. It's not like-"

Matt: "You're being a real fucking asshole, Paul."

Paul: "Well I'm speculating here! I want to know!"

Matt: "I'm sitting here with a goddamn Tom Petty tattoo on my fucking chest and you're laughing and having a good time knowing that we had our concert destroyed by some selfish asshole-"

Paul: "Ok! So THAT's what happened! It's not like this hypothetical scenario of his BEARD falling off."

Matt: "No... You don't even know what happened tho."

John: "You don't know what happened."

Paul: "No I don't! I'm just trying to get details, guys!"

 

(cuts to concert)

♫ This is the last D J♫

Matt: "So what song is this? Is this a cover?"

John: "This is the- no, this is one of the, it's like 10, 15 years ago it's like one of his newer songs he came out with-"

Matt: "15 years ago? Newer?- Hey what's happening?"

Tom Petty: "HEY! THIS FUCKER'S TAKING MY BEARD, MAN!"

 

(cuts back)

Paul: "Ok, so WHAT HAPPENED?! You guys are at the concert, he's playing 'The Last DJ,' and some guy runs up and takes his BEARD? I was pretty close, between his BEARD falling off and a guy running up and taking it! You guys are assholes! The fact that I stuck my neck out there and said his BEARD fell off— which is pretty close to an audience member running up and taking his BEARD— and y-y-y-you don't even agree!"

[jsl 36]

love that royal baby sketch

[KyleMahan 102]

Even after all these months, I still hate that smug videogame kid so, so, so much.

I get most of the video game references (not proud of that...), but I still don't know what the hell "pawn all my limbs to afford an 18 hour car ride" means

[blockofice 82]

Thanks so much for these past 100+ episodes, Matt. Can't think of any podcasts that are as generous and bring me as much enjoyment.

[VinsanityV22 500]

Loved hearing about how the "Tom Petty's Beard" sketch ended up the way it did! For the record Matt, I totally assumed that Paul was laughing because it was so stupid . Not at all because you guys "denied him" the idea. Now though, I'm probably going to think that whenever this situation happens in the future!

 

I always felt like the laughter was from a) "This is ridiculous; did I just say his beard fell off?", and then b ) "Wait... does Tom Petty even have a Beard? Am I even thinking of Tom Petty right now/Did I forget who Tom Petty is? Or can I just do a Bob Dylan impression"? lol.

 

I felt like everything just got more & more ridiculous, but everyone established it and had to keep plowing forward (luckily for us all), and Paul just had to laugh at what was transpiring. All because of his decision to talk about someone stealing his beard. Awesome scene!

 

And awesome bit! The I4H Best Of's are always great, just being a collection of fantastic & hilarious sketches. But to get that little bit of new material was both interesting and added another hilarious layer to everything. Loved it! Best Podcast in the Universe continues! Time to make a few new fans out of I4H, I think. It's always a good idea to use the Best Of's to introduce this to friends...

[klemjohansen 748]

I get most of the video game references (not proud of that...), but I still don't know what the hell "pawn all my limbs to afford an 18 hour car ride" means

 

If you waste one moment of your life trying to understand it, then he wins. Don't let him win.

[Corky Kneivel 113]

This is easily the best podcast in all the guldanged universii. So much entertainment every week and I’ve been here for 96 episodes. That means I win.

 

I haven't listened to this Best Of yet, I don't think I voted for this one. I mean…there....why there could be ANYTHING on here! There could be anything from the last 99 episodes on this episode. The possibilities are near limitless. There could be:

• a Matt Besser Weird Guy™ voice...
  
• Lauren Lapkus could talk about ass play...
  
• Tim Meadows and Horatio Sanz could be cracking each other up...
  
• WENGERT!! could be on there...
  
• Lennon Parham and brian Huskey could be excitably enthusiastic about something...
  
• Chad Carter could be fucking brilliant...
  
• John Gemberling could talk about ass play but with ass meaning donkey this time...
  
• satanic face scraping…
  
• fecal blow through (FBT)…
  
• jazz scat cruiseships…
  
• the Sprite dunk-off brought to by Sprite…soda….
  
• the guy who's just "doing his thing" at the worst possible time…
  
• a blind brothel goer…
  
• albino friend census…
  
• the world's best (and worst) Raiders fan…
  
• GLORM…
  
• the Sunshine Band Van…
  
• a Tom Petty beard thief…
  
• apocalypse crush smush scenarios…
  
• Dale Oshack of Butter, Texas…
  
• Dum Dum Dugan's Avengers teambuilding exercise…
  
• how to celebrate your Panthers v. Red Knights…
  

 

I MEAN VIRTUALLY ANYTHING!!

 

I love this show and I tell everyone I talk about podcasts with to listen to it.

[lylachka 134]

I know I'm late to the party and have nothing to say about this specific episode other than I love it and Matt Besser but, did anyone see Besser in Drunk History as told by Rich Fulcher? Holy. Shit.

[Corky Kneivel 113]

Hahaha like none of ones I mentioned are on here.

 

OH SHIT. They did the Tom Petty beard sketch. I loved the breakdown and improv discussion of that one. It probably sounds corny but hearing Matt Besser, Paul Rust, and Gemberling discuss initiations, pimping, and who’s unsual and who’s grounded gave me improv happies.

Edited September 28, 2013 by Corky Kneivel

[saddlebags 581]

Forgot how perfectly Mookie nailed that ranting guy's voice/speech patterns. Incredible.

[reptar 25]

I just put two-and-two together and realized where I recognized that daddy long legs guy. That's Flula. His Youtube channel is a comedy channel. Y'alls fell for the joke. English is not his native language, and he makes light of that.

[pdxsean 241]

Congrats on 100 episodes. Can't wait to see you hit 1000. Loved the analysis of the Tom Petty skit, hope there are more of those to come!