EPISODE 31 - Wine Tasting

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes longtime listeners, first time listeners, and Halloweeners back to SPONTANEANATION! This week, Paul’s special guest is Bruce McCulloch of The Kids in the Hall! They chat about the history of Tuesday, Bruce's complicated birth & extensive pajama collection, and which color would be assigned to each day of the week. Paul is then joined by Janet Varney, Amanda Lund, and Annie Savage to improvise a story set at "Wine Tasting." And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!

 

DON'T FORGET! There are still tickets available to see SPONTANEANATION LIVE at Largo on Saturday, November 7th! You'll see Craig Cackowski, Chris Tallman and Jean Villepique, along with special guest Keegan-Michael Key! Not to be missed. For tickets, go to paulftompkins.com/live!

 

PFT's EPISODE NOTES

- The group photo is meant to evoke a community theatre company promotional shot, where ladders are always the fifth character!

- Bruce McCulloch is the second member of the legendary The Kids In The Hall to visit Spontaneanation!

- There is some talk of "Baby Hitler" on this episode, which was recorded on August 10th of 2015. On October 23rd, just days before this episode was released, the New York Times Magazine asked its readers if they would kill a baby Hitler if they had access to a time machine. Everyone made fun of the New York Times Magazine for asking this!

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

I haven't got to the improvisation part yet, but wanted to say Bruce was hilarious and I hope he comes back on the show... he works great with PFT!

Also these are recorded way in advance, yes? How did he predict that Baby Hitler would become a little internet thing last week? Haha

 

(Also Janet laughing in the background is always the bestest)

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Also these are recorded way in advance, yes? How did he predict that Baby Hitler would become a little internet thing last week? Haha

 

Yeah, I had the same thought. I spent a lot of my day at work on Friday reading Baby Hitler tweets, and then the timing was just right that they hit it this morning.

 

A couple of other thoughts:

 

This is the second KITH member on the show. How long before we see Scott, Kevin, or Mark?

 

9/11 was a Tuesday.

[Jon Onyx 1226]

Great interview, great improv.

 

I love Janet's "man" voice

 

and i've also realized that Paul loves the term "the inky blackness of outer space"

[KajusX 1807]

When stuff like this happens— either I'm listening to unrelated podcasts in succession and they cover the same subject matter, make the same pop culture reference, etc, or a show is recorded in advance but upon it's release has absolutely nailed a present subject that the people at the time had no idea would be in the current zeitgeist— I like to call it...

PODKISMET.

 

*thunder cracks*

[qaop_space 87]

Improv was outstanding

[Kickpuncher 5012]

9/11 was a Tuesday.

 

So was the stock market crash of 1929, aka "Black Tuesday". He was joking.

 

Bruce is my favorite Kid in the Hall, but I felt like he was a little too "on" here. Very funny, but kind of exhausting.

 

Anyway, great episode, thought the various ways things from the interview were incorporated were really clever (even more so than usual). One of my favorite aspects of the show is when they go into something and it hits you that it's a reference to the interview.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

So was the stock market crash of 1929, aka "Black Tuesday". He was joking.

Tell me more about these jokes and how they work.

[KatherineIsOdd 486]

One of my favorite aspects of the show is when they go into something and it hits you that it's a reference to the interview.

 

I think I realized during this episode that Janet is the best callbacker! When she's not around, the interview is more often neglected.

 

Paul being southern or a woman is always a treat, but a southern woman? Double treat!

 

I am as amused by when an improviser loses track of characters/names/relationships, as I am impressed that it doesn't happen more often, considering how hard I have to work to keep track of everybody.

 

My favourite thing is the baby bunny in the overalls, both the adorable image of that actually happening to Amanda, and the bizarre way it was incorporated into the improv.

 

It's a pleasure discussing this podcast with all you like-minded ghosts!

 

[DanEngler 5249]

More at SwedishMeatgalls.

[KatherineIsOdd 486]

More at SwedishMeatgalls.

 

D'awwwwww!

[Darbler Cheesegarbler 1110]

Paul's preamble is like the anti-Maron. It's delightful to listen to and it's always so full of joy.

 

This very well could be my favorite interview from the show so far. Bruce really took that question and ran with it and Paul pulled so much out of it, as usual. RIP Speakeasy.

[Human 97]

Eban playing subtle "Dancing Queen" motifs over the end of the show added one too many layers of funny to this hilarious episode. Amazing. Love this show so so much.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Eban playing subtle "Dancing Queen" motifs over the end of the show added one too many layers of funny to this hilarious episode. Amazing. Love this show so so much.

Eban was killing it this episode. I need to listen again because I'm pretty sure I only picked up half of what he was doing.

 

But, yeah, the Dancing Queen bit was amazing.

 

It's so funny how Eban's music takes on a personality of its own. He's definitely the best.

[Darbler Cheesegarbler 1110]

Janet Varney?

 

 

Also, that Swedish Meatgalls page is truly amazing. Funny and strange and if it were a TV show, I'd watch that (clink).

[doggans 126]

I think I realized during this episode that Janet is the best callbacker! When she's not around, the interview is more often neglected.

 

I noticed that re-listening to some older episodes, that Janet has an amazing instinct for callbacks. In the first episode, for instance, I don't know how many re-listens it took for me to piece together her "atrocity you performed" callback.

 

KILLER panel this week, and Bruce was the hardest I've laughed at the interview section in a while. Although it probably helps that the question was loaded with so much potential for silliness.

[Bumpy 1674]

Another episode so funny I despair over the bits never getting more material. Especailly that strange foreign land.

 

The theme from The Ghost and Mr. Chicken! Now I truly understand what Paul means when he says Eban is the best.

[Brian_Eno 119]

Please have Bruce back on he was hilarious and somehow relatable even though he lives in a mansion! Probably because he sounds like my neurotic inner headvoicething.

[Cathy ACKerman 361]

a denny's parking lot?

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Tell me more about these jokes and how they work.

 

So you pointing out that 9/11 was a Tuesday was you playing along with the joke? OK!

 

That picture of Amanda and the baby bunny is adorable, it's such a shame that it died from varnish vapor inhalation minutes later.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

So you pointing out that 9/11 was a Tuesday was you playing along with the joke? OK!

No, but it was quite obviously me pointing out the first thing I thought of that happened on a Tuesday. Bruce was quite obviously making a joke. Of course bad things have happened on Tuesdays. It's almost like realizing something in direct opposition to the joke makes the joke even more ridiculous. But I don't know; I clearly don't understand how jokes work.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

No, but it was quite obviously me pointing out the first thing I thought of that happened on a Tuesday. Bruce was quite obviously making a joke. Of course bad things have happened on Tuesdays. It's almost like realizing something in direct opposition to the joke makes the joke even more ridiculous. But I don't know; I clearly don't understand how jokes work.

 

OK, sorry. I didn't get that you were going for that. Really, not a big deal.

[Xandar1977 421]

I'm fairly certain I've heard the Reverend Robert Parsimony make that little horse joke...

[VajayjayLeno 336]

Please have Bruce back on he was hilarious and somehow relatable even though he lives in a mansion! Probably because he sounds like my neurotic inner headvoicething.

 

My only exposure to Bruce was watching KITH over and over obsessively, so it was an utter delight to hear him be exactly as fun and weird as I wanted him to actually be.

[Xandar1977 421]

Holy shit, "That's a sad way to put your dog down."