EPISODE 21 - A Top Chef Finale Afterparty

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes fans of repeating words to this thing called SPONTANEANATION! This week, Paul’s special guest is singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton! They chat about phone etiquette, thank-you notes, and what Jonathan's grandparent nickname would be. Paul is then joined by Janet Varney, Hal Lublin, and Annie Savage to improvise a story set at a Top Chef Finale Afterparty. And as always, Eban Schletter (only the best) scores it all on piano!

 

 

The next LIVE SPONTANEANATION will be recorded at Largo on Saturday, September 12th, with special guests Kristen Schaal & Superego! Last time, Thomas Lennon and Paul covered a Joy Division song for the live audience ONLY. What will happen before your very eyes next time? Get your tickets now: bit.ly/SPONT915

[FaceLikeThunder 2114]

Love Annie Savage!

Monday mornings are a mini christmas for me

[JamesClark 32]

Having Jonathan Coulton on the show is a triumph! I'm making a note here... huge success! It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.

[Scooter McGnarly 382]

Does anyone else think it's a little distracting how much JV laughs during the monologue? She's a great improviser and adds to the show, but her non stop laughing kinda drives me nuts. Great episode guys!

[clams 242]

Does anyone else think it's a little distracting how much JV laughs during the monologue? She's a great improviser and adds to the show, but her non stop laughing kinda drives me nuts. Great episode guys!

 

Ya know, I had the same reaction when on her first few times on the show. Though, I don't know why but it doesn't bother me anymore and it's actually a delight to hear.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Does anyone else think it's a little distracting how much JV laughs during the monologue? She's a great improviser and adds to the show, but her non stop laughing kinda drives me nuts. Great episode guys!

 

Honestly, this has come up in the forums before and I just don't get it...

 

How does a person laughing at jokes (on a comedy podcast) become distracting? Isn't that what Paul is trying to accomplish? I certainly don't feel like her laughter is excessive or rude. It's not even very loud, in fact, it's pretty quiet--albeit, enthusiastic. I also don't feel like it's much different from when Paul laughs in the background during any given episode of CBB. Is she supposed to sit there in stony silence to give Paul's monologue the gravitas it deserves? That seems weird...

 

Keep on laughing, Ms. Varney! Don't let them steal your sparkle!

[HunterJE 618]

On top of that, I'd add, maybe I'm just suggestible, but with Paul's super punchy and totally hilarious pre-ramble this ep not sure how anyone could be faulted for cracking up at it...

[Joe Lerini 7329]

I enjoy the background laughter.

[doggans 126]

JoCo AND an all-Workjuice team? (And on the same day as the final Sparks Nevada, no less?)

 

So many of my favorite people in a single podcast. Especially great to finally have Annie Savage join the Nation!

[Mathey 419]

Delightful ep. Clark's descent into pyromania was strangely compelling and hilarious.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I love JV's laugh. When she and Marc Evan Jackson are on an episode together, their laughter basically cures cancer. Marc's is way less frequent, but so goddamn delightful.

 

Also, JV can basically do anything if she includes a line like, "I like being disappointed by things out loud."

 

Also, isn't Annie Savage's thing about taking your shoes off to avoid jetlag basically how Die Hard starts? I'd rather be tired than have to fight Hans Gruber. But that's just me.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Favorite moment - JV blatantly teeing Annie up for a flashback to her first memorable grilled cheese, possibly just for the purpose of getting to yell about the restaurant being on fire

 

Second favorite moment - The Square Space ad featuring an anonymous Baltimore psychiatrist and gourmand

[KajusX 1807]

Nobody puts Korra in a corner. JV can laugh all the GD day. Get used to it or get avatar'd.

 

HEY! Was this the ep that was recorded on the day that Jarles and his fencing team stormed in on that CBB episode from a few weeks back? EDIT: Oh, nope. I forgot there was a picture in that CBB ep's gallery of the Spont cast in the recording room with Andy Daly as Joe Bongo (or 'J'Bongo', as Jarles pronounces it), and while Janet Varney is also in that group, there are no other matches with the cast of this week's ep. Plus, Paul said that ep was dropping in September.

[FaceLikeThunder 2114]

I'd probably say this was one of the best uses of the cut-to button with the kitchen burning scene.

Everyone was on top of their game, really enjoyable

[JoshuaTeixeira 34]

Janet's laugh is a treasure. Also, everyone was cracking up this episode. Paul was in top form during that monologue!

[DanEngler 5249]

After a day of people barking angry and often ill-informed complaints, this episode was the perfect antidote. Deee-lightful!

 

Plus, the bit at the end where Annie asked if she would get another pin for returning, implying that Paul gives away those signature S pins to his guest improvisers as a thank-you gift! Will be a new pin design for every year of SPONTANEANATION? And will return guests eventually need some sort of official sash to display their collections?

[Hot - Slunch 772]

This episode made me exclaim something that I've only said once before about a Sylvester Stallone performance, "What a cliffhanger!"

[potsmaster 36]

Love the episode! Quick science fact check. Pinterst is not a great place to go for advice, especially for anything medical. The idea that you can cure jetlag by "connecting to the earth" through rubbing your feet in grass or anything of the kind is complete nonsense. Restart your circadian rhythm by taking 5 - 8 mg of melatonin about 1 hour before your normal bedtime.

 

The More You Know!! *rainbow*

 

P.S. A participation game for this episode: "New Children's Book Names"

 

1) The Cheftestants and the Mystery of the Foodposium of Gstaad

[souprman 10477]

 

Honestly, this has come up in the forums before and I just don't get it...

 

How does a person laughing at jokes (on a comedy podcast) become distracting? Isn't that what Paul is trying to accomplish? I certainly don't feel like her laughter is excessive or rude. It's not even very loud, in fact, it's pretty quiet--albeit, enthusiastic. I also don't feel like it's much different from when Paul laughs in the background during any given episode of CBB. Is she supposed to sit there in stony silence to give Paul's monologue the gravitas it deserves? That seems weird...

 

Keep on laughing, Ms. Varney! Don't let them steal your sparkle!

Couldn't agree more Cam. Love the new nom de Forum btw!

[souprman 10477]

Also (that's right, there's more) I have to say I enjoy the sound of people laughing as a rule, a hard rule. I would have to attribute it to this goddamned heart and soul and all it's accompanying emotional empathy I've been fucking cursed with. I don't know. Maybe I'm just flawed. I guess during the course of living a non-sheltered life, I have come to expect the sound of people other than myself laughing, y'know during the course of a comedy type show. I know, I'm a pill!

[Scooter McGnarly 382]

Guys, thanks for giving me a new perspective. I'll enjoy the laughter now, instead of being such a crab haha.

[souprman 10477]

Scooter Mac is good people.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Couldn't agree more Cam. Love the new nom de Forum btw!

 

It's a thing we're doing. A certain mischievous forum dweller came up with it in the minisode thread for this week's HDTGM. So, check out that thread and then come play with us souprman!

[souprman 10477]

 

It's a thing we're doing. A certain mischievous forum dweller came up with it in the minisode thread for this week's HDTGM. So, check out that thread and then come play with us souprman!

Oh cool. I have Top Dog dl'd but still haven't gotten to it. Hopefully I can do it tomorrow and then get to the threads. Thanks for the heads up! If I change my username I will premier it on the next thread.

 

edit>or will the party be over by then?

 

reEdit> just saw TheoRex is up. urgggh! I'll try to get on it.

[JohnThomas-Mason 0]

Paul mentioned how he suffered a bout of depression due to jet lag. I have often wondered if there was a time when he had to record/perform his signature silliness and just wasn't feeling it. How does he deal with that? (I myself suffer from depression and anxiety and tend to mull over this concept in general).