Episode 57 — Public Access Nonsense

[JulyDiaz 2797]

The Eric Andre Show’s own Eric Andre drops by to talk all about Public Access television and to interview Jake about Squirt TV. We’ll find out how Eric went from mastering the Seinfeld bassline in college to hosting one of the most interesting/funny mock talk shows on television. Eric & Jake will take a look at some clips from Beyond Vaudeville, Fernwood 2 Night, and a performance by a fellow named Tim Staggs. As always, check out the full playlist over at youtube.com/TheFogelnestFiles! The Fogelnest Files is LIVE at the LA Podcast Festival on October 5th with Andy Richter, Matt Besser and Matt Mira. lapodfest.com LIVE in New York City on October 10th at The Bell House with Julie Klausner, Dave Hill and Tom Scharpling. Tickets at thebellhouseny.com.

[Joe Lerini 7329]

This was really cool. Mr. Andre and I loved a lot of the same shows as kids, and I enjoy The Eric Andre Show, though I watch it when I notice it's on, not really seeking it out. Though, now that I've listened to this, that will probably change.

 

This episode made me want to hear Tommy Blacha on the show. Heavy metal and pro wrestling are totally in my wheelhouse, and I'd love to hear him talk wrestling. I know, Jake, you're not really a fan, but Vince McMahon is rumored to be such a weird dude, I'd love to hear stories about him.

[robinsbruce 4985]

Awesome show Jake! I love anything that is inane public access TV. You should try to get Hannibal on the show if you can, that dude is unbelievably funny.

[jakefogelnest 517]

This episode made me want to hear Tommy Blacha on the show. Heavy metal and pro wrestling are totally in my wheelhouse, and I'd love to hear him talk wrestling. I know, Jake, you're not really a fan, but Vince McMahon is rumored to be such a weird dude, I'd love to hear stories about him.

 

Tommy has told me INSANE Vince McMahon stories. Totally will have him on sometime.

[DubipR 485]

I really wish I had a tape of my public access show when I was in high school.

 

Loved hearing Eric Andre on the podcast, Jake. I loved the passion of Eric' love for public access shows and the inspiration

Here in LA, we had some good ones too...Collin's Sleazy Friends was always a blast.

 

 

[ADoer 11]

I don't know if enough of the young comics today fully appreciate (or do they even know) just how much of a game-changer 'Fernwood Tonight' really was?

It doesn't seem that way now when nearly everyone automatically grasps that it's a 'fake' or 'mock talkshow' but they were doing that when quite frankly the average person wasnt accustomed to such things.

 

Anyway, just huge massive props to Fernwood because that was way ahead of its time.

[klobbermang 532]

 

Tommy has told me INSANE Vince McMahon stories. Totally will have him on sometime.

 

Vince McMahon, insane? Of course not

 

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Near the beginning, Eric mentioned doing yoga and asked if his "low" energy level was OK. Allow me to answer with a resounding yes. I've seen/heard him on several talk shows and podcasts, and this was by far the most enjoyable of those appearances in my book. Really fun episode.

[wolfhaley 18]

I like Eric, but it was refreshing to hear his after-meditation mellow side.

[nathanpierce 400]

Huge fan of Eric, and not only did I love his insight on the things that inspired him, but I loved how curious he was about your career and Squirt TV, Jake. Fun episode. And yeah, Tommy would be awesome.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I love that in the "Beyond Vaudeville" clip, the guest is introduced as being from a comic book convention. This show is basically what conventions were like in the 1980s and 1990s, yet have somehow transformed into one of the most potent and powerful forces in pop culture. From plate-spinning in a "Eye of the Beholder" pig-faced Twilight Zone mask to Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in 20 years. I find this fascinating.

[wakefresh 689]

Huge fan of Eric, and not only did I love his insight on the things that inspired him, but I loved how curious he was about your career and Squirt TV, Jake. Fun episode. And yeah, Tommy would be awesome.

 

I didn't know he had a TV show when he was 16, or that it was so popular. I only knew him from the I Love the 80s/90s shows on VH1. I thought he was a comic.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

Awesome show Jake! I love anything that is inane public access TV. You should try to get Hannibal on the show if you can, that dude is unbelievably funny.

Sweet jesus, I miss public access cable. Seattle had some great shows; I recorded a bunch to VHS as a teenager but who knows where that went. There was this guy called "Mike Hunt" who would just smoke weed and play porn; I remember him getting arrested live on air for obscenity; cops came into the studio and cuffed him. Made the local newscasts that night, but that was it.

 

Let's see.... Bong Hit Championships, Ted Narcotic: My Erotic Narcotic, Richard Lee's crazy "Now See It: Person To Person" which was all about how Courtney Love had killed Kurt Cobain. There was someone who used to rebroadcast Jonathan Ross' "Incredibly Strange Film Show, which was actually my first exposure to Evil Dead back in the early 1990s. Not to mention all the great shows that played (at the time, pre-internet) obscure punk & experimental music.

 

Oh! And this guy -- "The Reverend" Bruce Howard! I never bothered to find out what was up with him:

 

 

Sometimes he would just stare all crazy-eyed into the camera for a half hour. This stuff was freely available on channel 29 to anyone with a basic cable connection. Amazing.

[HipGuide 196]

That Jason Alexander clip is perfect for Scharpling's sound collage.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

Hey Jake, any chance of having Squirt TV shows available to your listeners somehow? I see you have some clips on Youtube and I found a couple episodes (ripped from an old VHS) on a torrent site. It's great stuff. Or am I a dum-dum and you're actually selling it somewhere?

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Jake should outsource it to Howard Kremer so he can sell it on eBay.

[PhillipMedoc 648]

Jake should outsource it to Howard Kremer so he can sell it on eBay.

In ten years Howard will have an Etsy store selling DVDs and we'll have moved on from Blu-Ray.

[jakefogelnest 517]

You will hear from Rev. Bruce Howard on the next episode.

 

As for SQUiRT TV stuff... working on getting that together!

[PhillipMedoc 648]

You will hear from Rev. Bruce Howard on the next episode.

 

As for SQUiRT TV stuff... working on getting that together!

WHAT IS HAPPENING?! I don't have enough interrobangs to express my feelings. Jake, you're making my teenage dreams come true! This is amazing, thank you.