Episode 10.1 — The Final Challenge: Day 1

[janus1172 11]

Wait we only get one post?

[janus1172 11]

Wait we only get one post?

[BFH 0]

@KC-
Uh huh.

[BFH 0]

@KC-
Uh huh.

[Andy P 3]

came out of lurking to say the Earwolf Challenge has been one of my favorite things to listen to all year. Besser has been an awesome host and all of the guest judges were great. Really hoping there is a second season of this, and hopefully my podcast "Farting Into The Mic For An Hour Straight" will make the cut! *fart* I just farted into the keyboard!

[Andy P 3]

came out of lurking to say the Earwolf Challenge has been one of my favorite things to listen to all year. Besser has been an awesome host and all of the guest judges were great. Really hoping there is a second season of this, and hopefully my podcast "Farting Into The Mic For An Hour Straight" will make the cut! *fart* I just farted into the keyboard!

[Bucho 188]

@Brodie-
Seriously?

[Bucho 188]

@Brodie-
Seriously?

[bringmenachos 23]

I like TL, I think I'm going to listen to their podcast whether it's part of Earwolf or not. I think Elizabeth was right when she said that "preference" worked more in their favour as a criterion for this challenge than "funniness", because while I think that I find LDDC funnier, I get more out of TL. I think that when they go for it, they get a lot of interesting material out of their guests that isn't funny per se, it's just compelling because it's out of left field, it's personal, and it rounds the guests out as people.

I prefer them to LDDC, because LDDC's thing seems to just be "being funny", and while they succeed at that, I already listen to a bunch of podcasts that are just about the hosts being funny. TL is funny (e.g. I lol'd on public transport when Charlie Day said "FUCK NO" before Elizabeth could even get the question out about him kissing his mother on the lips), but the reason I prefer them is because they give me something I don't get from the podcasts I already listen to. I mean, I guess a large part of WTF is Marc getting to know the person behind the comedian persona, but TL does it in a gentler, more positive and more charming way. I liken them more to those times on CBB when Scott kind of happens upon a serious topic and he and the guests speak candidly about it for a while without caring about getting laughs, like on a recent episode when Scott said he got choked up thinking about Todd Glass dying (FUNNY STUFF). I get lots of these kinds of moments out of TL, especially when the hosts talk to each other, because they seem to be comfortable with talking about their apparently fairly strange backgrounds. These kinds of moments make me feel good about being alive, rather than hilariously amused, and that's a much rarer and therefore more valuable commodity to me than merely funniness.

I see a lot of potential for growth for TL, I think that once they get comfortable with being high-profile podcasters and they aren't afraid to probe their guests and put themselves on display, they'll hone in what makes them unique and great. LDDC seem kind of honed already, i don't see them developing much beyond what they are already. Plus, I live in Australia, and they just remind me of a funnier, less sanitised version of Australian morning radio. They're better than radio, but they don't really contribute something new to the broadcast/podcast world. I reserve the right to go back on this opinion after I listen to their show tomorrow.

[bringmenachos 23]

I like TL, I think I'm going to listen to their podcast whether it's part of Earwolf or not. I think Elizabeth was right when she said that "preference" worked more in their favour as a criterion for this challenge than "funniness", because while I think that I find LDDC funnier, I get more out of TL. I think that when they go for it, they get a lot of interesting material out of their guests that isn't funny per se, it's just compelling because it's out of left field, it's personal, and it rounds the guests out as people.

I prefer them to LDDC, because LDDC's thing seems to just be "being funny", and while they succeed at that, I already listen to a bunch of podcasts that are just about the hosts being funny. TL is funny (e.g. I lol'd on public transport when Charlie Day said "FUCK NO" before Elizabeth could even get the question out about him kissing his mother on the lips), but the reason I prefer them is because they give me something I don't get from the podcasts I already listen to. I mean, I guess a large part of WTF is Marc getting to know the person behind the comedian persona, but TL does it in a gentler, more positive and more charming way. I liken them more to those times on CBB when Scott kind of happens upon a serious topic and he and the guests speak candidly about it for a while without caring about getting laughs, like on a recent episode when Scott said he got choked up thinking about Todd Glass dying (FUNNY STUFF). I get lots of these kinds of moments out of TL, especially when the hosts talk to each other, because they seem to be comfortable with talking about their apparently fairly strange backgrounds. These kinds of moments make me feel good about being alive, rather than hilariously amused, and that's a much rarer and therefore more valuable commodity to me than merely funniness.

I see a lot of potential for growth for TL, I think that once they get comfortable with being high-profile podcasters and they aren't afraid to probe their guests and put themselves on display, they'll hone in what makes them unique and great. LDDC seem kind of honed already, i don't see them developing much beyond what they are already. Plus, I live in Australia, and they just remind me of a funnier, less sanitised version of Australian morning radio. They're better than radio, but they don't really contribute something new to the broadcast/podcast world. I reserve the right to go back on this opinion after I listen to their show tomorrow.

[J 1]

Boooooooo!!! (is there a ghost in here?)

[J 1]

Boooooooo!!! (is there a ghost in here?)

[CarolineEAnd 41]

I have to use my one post to post this:

It was one of Elizabeth's first voice acting gigs (she talked about it on....I forget which episode of TL). It's the best, right?

[CarolineEAnd 41]

I have to use my one post to post this:

It was one of Elizabeth's first voice acting gigs (she talked about it on....I forget which episode of TL). It's the best, right?

[Jago 0]

Enjoyed the Totally Laime show in the first episode. Charlie Day's a fun guest.

[Jago 0]

Enjoyed the Totally Laime show in the first episode. Charlie Day's a fun guest.

[Mike Q. 1]

Haha, nice find, Caroline.
 
I enjoy Totally Laime a great deal, and am really glad they reached the final so that they were able to showcase their podcast in almost full-length form. Like Elizabeth mentioned, I think they became overly concerned with finding a "hook" and branding themselves as the show that asks "the least important questions," which was important early on in the competition when they had to stand out from 9 other podcasts, but was less advantageous later. I think the constraints of the Challenge (short, 2-4 minute bite-sized pieces dedicated to illustrating certain aspects of podcasting) made for a great competition, but didn't necessarily allow listeners to get the full experience of each show, especially chat shows like TL where the easy, meandering conversation often takes interesting turns.
 
What I really like about TL is Elizabeth and Andy's rapport; that they're married adds a unique tinge to the podcast, but more than that, their comfort with each other on the podcast allows their guests to feel at ease, and you can really hear them enjoying themselves. Often, as Harris Wittels noted, guests who weren't friends with Elizabeth and Andy previously very quickly feel like they're old friends and the conversation is allowed to go to weird places. Yes, sometimes they explore sexual themes, but I don't find it lurid or cheap. Just as often the questions lead to something more pointed or serious, as when Charlie starts talking about his neuroses and how he battles them in the courtroom in his head, or when, in a previous show (and prior to her appearance on WTF) Aubrey Plaza talked about having a stroke in college.
 
Congrats to Totally Laime for a great showing, whether they eventually win the Challenge or not.

[Mike Q. 1]

Haha, nice find, Caroline.
 
I enjoy Totally Laime a great deal, and am really glad they reached the final so that they were able to showcase their podcast in almost full-length form. Like Elizabeth mentioned, I think they became overly concerned with finding a "hook" and branding themselves as the show that asks "the least important questions," which was important early on in the competition when they had to stand out from 9 other podcasts, but was less advantageous later. I think the constraints of the Challenge (short, 2-4 minute bite-sized pieces dedicated to illustrating certain aspects of podcasting) made for a great competition, but didn't necessarily allow listeners to get the full experience of each show, especially chat shows like TL where the easy, meandering conversation often takes interesting turns.
 
What I really like about TL is Elizabeth and Andy's rapport; that they're married adds a unique tinge to the podcast, but more than that, their comfort with each other on the podcast allows their guests to feel at ease, and you can really hear them enjoying themselves. Often, as Harris Wittels noted, guests who weren't friends with Elizabeth and Andy previously very quickly feel like they're old friends and the conversation is allowed to go to weird places. Yes, sometimes they explore sexual themes, but I don't find it lurid or cheap. Just as often the questions lead to something more pointed or serious, as when Charlie starts talking about his neuroses and how he battles them in the courtroom in his head, or when, in a previous show (and prior to her appearance on WTF) Aubrey Plaza talked about having a stroke in college.
 
Congrats to Totally Laime for a great showing, whether they eventually win the Challenge or not.

[ronarchy 0]

I'm sure TL will win but I'd have to say they did a wonderful job of making Charlie Day boring... There is nothing that LDDC could do to be worse than this week's TL but as someone said on the previous page, TL wins because they are in the US, they have a chick, and some other BS... TLs clip would have probably been much better if the did Totally or Lame upfront....

[ronarchy 0]

I'm sure TL will win but I'd have to say they did a wonderful job of making Charlie Day boring... There is nothing that LDDC could do to be worse than this week's TL but as someone said on the previous page, TL wins because they are in the US, they have a chick, and some other BS... TLs clip would have probably been much better if the did Totally or Lame upfront....