Episode 7 - Je Suis UCB - OR - (a funny thing happened on the way to the diorama convention)

[JulyDiaz 2797]

UCB LA stars Ben Rodgers, Betsy Sodaro and Jon Gabrus join Horatio and Chad in bro-bro studios and we find out what is really wrong with these kids today. Back in high school, morning announcements go terribly wrong, Ben and Jon destroy art projects and Betsy pretends to be a lost Norwegian child to scam tourists. In the present, Officer Whitey McNoRythm is on the hunt for people violating the public urination ordinance. Cosby calls the show with a confession.

[KajusX 1807]

WHOA This looks completely next level. I'm stoked! EDIT: A Clockwork opening and left and right speaker play? Already so much to like in addition to the amazing guests.

[Hagbard Celine 290]

Hell yeah! I was just listening to Betsy and Gabrus in "These Fat Crackers" for about the 8th time. Can't get enough of these two.

[KajusX 1807]

Relevant- http://www.earwolf.com/episode/double-or-nothing/

[AlbinLundholm 4020]

Fast becoming one of my favourite podcasts

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

In categories of 'things I never saw in real life', a jelly-bean counting contest jar, is weird.

[BigBossSR 4]

Love the flow of this episode! Probably helps to have improv folks on the show, because they're so used to sharing a story, then doing a bit out of it - but the production really capitalizes on it.

 

"You don't wash your feet in a candy store" will stick with me for a while - if only because of youth group teambuilding exercises.

 

Would love to see a recurring segment in which personae non grata of the moment call Chad to tell him he's one of their favorite people - if only recurring segments didn't run against the principle of Hooray!

[juggy4805 0]

What is the closing theme at the end of the show. It sounds so familiar but I can't place it.

 

Awesome episode also, hopefully Besser brings up the theater talk.

[Hagbard Celine 290]

I won one of those jelly-bean counting contests in 8th grade. If the beans are all the same size, you just gotta know how to multiply.

 

The prize wound up being some crazy thing other than the jarful of beans. Turns out the candy had coagulated into one solid jar-shaped lump of sugar, which they went ahead and threw in the trash.

 

I never entered another candy-related contest again.

[HotSaucerman 2051]

I had no idea Todd Glass did an episode of improv4humans. I can only assume its packed with stop and start bits.

[ChadKrueger 363]

What is the closing theme at the end of the show. It sounds so familiar but I can't place it.

 

Awesome episode also, hopefully Besser brings up the theater talk.

 

The closing theme is The Hooray Show Theme, an original piece written for the show by Dave Bazan.

 

Besser will get his chance to defend himself at SXSW. We love Matt.

[CraigEminger 468]

It is a catchy little tune. Is there a longer cut?

 

I think my favorite bit from this week was the Cosby bit, but the segment about the PA system at the school is a real close second.

[ChadKrueger 363]

Happy Hooray Show Wednesday everybody! I'm very excited to announce that our morning downloads were up by a couple of thousand this week, so the little show that could, keeps on keeping on. Thank you so much and please keep spreading the word. Now on to the episode.

 

Je Suis UCB - or - (a funny thing happened on the way to the diorama convention)

 

My favorite part of Wednesday mornings is getting to listen to the show knowing that there is no longer a god damn thing I can do about it. It's out there. Second guessing is pointless and it is what it is. I have to trust that I've put enough time and thought and energy into the episode that the spirit of the show comes through and that it is in fact funny. Well this one is really fucking funny. This is also the episode I spent the most time on (with maybe the exception of the first) and there are many reasons why.

 

I didn't think this episode was going to happen. It was so loose and I made an almost fatal mistake going in. I should never have let Jon and Ben share a mic. We all just kind of spilled into the basement, Horatio and I took our seats, Betsy took the normal guest seat and that left me with one mic for those guys. I offered to give up my mic but for some reason we talked ourselves out of that idea. In hindsight, I would've given Betsy my mic, and separated Jon and Ben and mix them more stereo left and right. It is difficult at times to tell them apart.

 

The biggest casualty of this is missing some REALLY funny lines that get buried under laughs. If Jon says something and Ben is either talking over it or laughing or vice versa, there is no way to separate the audio. So we almost completely miss "We saw your mini-911 diorama at the diorama festival". I think I got as many jokes as I could in there, but there are a lot of unfortunate ones that were just not savable. Another joke along that vein is "never forget all the mini cops we lost on mini 9-11" - This was a running theme in the recording session, but it barely makes the show because of this audio snafu. I now know better. Ideally, I never want to have more than two guests at a time, but the show is the show is the show yo!

 

I love the run out of this show. The back to back production pieces of 75 shit trombones and the morning announcements are two of my favorites and had us in absolute tears in our final listen through.

 

Horatio says in this episode "you've been listening to UCB style improv..." - and this is something we talk about a lot but if you are an improv student, I am going to point out this style to you in this episode and you can take it for what it is.

 

Early in the 75 shit trombones scene, Horatio says "I was kissing her nipple", I have the throw away line "I was there for that..." - my throw away line immediately became the game of the scene and Ben, Jon and Betsy all knew that. The game became "what did I miss because I was taking a shit?" - fucking brilliant. From there it's just heighten heighten heighten.

 

We never did get to that science fair...

 

As for running bits and not being the theme of "Hooray"... it's not for now. But it will be. We already have running themes. Baseball averages will always make a comeback. Mike Montana, Joe Nunez and Joe Show will almost always be in the background and work their way into episodes. I promise you haven't seen the last of Aaron Neville or the Abbott and Costello characters. That said, hopefully we finally put the Cosby thing down for good. Phone calls will continue to be a part of it and improvising songs for callers will make it's way into the show from time to time.

 

It's not going to have the format like many shows where it's like "we're at the 20 minute mark... it's NAME THAT SMELL!!!"

 

That is definitely not our style. But there are recurring bits if that makes sense.

 

No one has mentioned the ads yet. Do they bug you? Do you like 'em? Do you skip 'em? Just curious...

 

I'll be around...

 

Chad

[AstronomicalCat 241]

HOORAY!

[CraigEminger 468]

Well now we NEED a segment called NAME THAT SMELL. You've introduced a Chekov's Bit.

 

I did notice there were MORE ads this show (something like three total?) but they weren't too distracting. Necessary evil, bills to pay. Plus I take that as a sign the show is doing well. Sponsors, baby!

[ChadKrueger 363]

Well now we NEED a segment called NAME THAT SMELL. You've introduced a Chekov's Bit.

 

I did notice there were MORE ads this show (something like three total?) but they weren't too distracting. Necessary evil, bills to pay. Plus I take that as a sign the show is doing well. Sponsors, baby!

 

The three ad format was one of the more difficult parts of editing this show because it naturally breaks up the show into four acts and deciding what those acts were was really hard. I am super grateful to have sponsors though and they do send us cool shit!

[secondgradefresh 1]

Is there really a picture of how smooth a shave Harry's can get you? This is my only take away from the show.

 

Also, I really love saying the name of this show out loud. It makes me laugh every time I try to tell people about it.

[Joe Lerini 7329]

The Cosby confession bit had me laughing so hard my face hurt. Does that make me a bad person?

[ChadKrueger 363]

Is there really a picture of how smooth a shave Harry's can get you? This is my only take away from the show.

 

Strange... but okay...

 

[blazeheart 48]

"robit"

 

http://www.earwolf.c...ackie-robotson/

 

PS: please keep Cosby a running bit!

[saddlebags 581]

I have the same complaint about UCB sunset. The shows from there seem so awkward and the audience dead. I assumed audience wasn't mic'd, but I see the performers notice it too.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

I had no idea Todd Glass did an episode of improv4humans. I can only assume its packed with stop and start bits.

 

Did anyone else find it really weird that, even after doing that episode, Ben Rodgers apparently doesn't know who Todd Glass is?

[ChadKrueger 363]

 

Did anyone else find it really weird that, even after doing that episode, Ben Rodgers apparently doesn't know who Todd Glass is?

 

I had just assumed that Ben chose to not use Todd's name. In the I4H clip I use in our show, they say Todd's name right before they ask for the twitter handle, I edited it out to be consistent with Ben's choice, whether it was a deliberate choice or not.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Ah, that makes sense.

[takehomejoke 670]

I love the show- the production, editing, bits, and general Horationess are fantastic. Laugh out loud and almost fall down on the treadmill funny.