I listened to most of the one with Patton Oswalt, it was pretty good I thought.
I started listening to the podcast after I saw this thread and I’ve really been enjoying it. I actually got the WTF app for my iPhone. Most of the interviews are quite interesting.
I’m listening to the Gallagher episode right now, though, and wow. I thought it was generous of Maron to lead into the interview by saying he was too aggressive with his questions, because I really didn’t think he was. Gallagher’s nuts. Also, not funny.
After listening to the Gallagher interview, a couple things are apparent other than the batshit craziness:
a) He thinks there’s only way way to do comedy, and that’s one-liner jokes
b) he thinks the highest goal in comedy is to perform at state fairs
c) he thinks cancer is only caused by electrons.
Marc Maron’s WTF podcast and Kevin Pollak’s Chatshow (now, unfortunately but understandably subject to “pay to download”) between them have redefined for me the art of interviewing. With their longer form and greater informality, the interviews are light years ahead of anything that comes out of mainstream media. As one of Maron’s listeners commented recently, if I had to pay what it’s worth I couldn’t afford it.
Weird. I just finished listening to part 2 of the Apatow interview, then popped onto the Dope for the first time in a couple of weeks. And the first thread title I saw was this one, about that very podcast.
Anyway, another round of applause for WTF. The interviews are usually very interesting, though some of the best stuff is when Maron is just riffing on how things are going with him. The best ones are when he’s having problems; it’s like listening to a leper whose dick just fell off. Very entertaining.
The live WTF shows are usually pretty awesome, too.
The only time the podcast really sags is when he has a guest on about whom I have absolutely no interest, or when Marc and some guest voice perform some skit which is supposed to be funny and ironic, but usually just comes across as grating and obvious. But he hasn’t been doing much of that shit lately, so maybe he got the message.
(Obviously, since I just got to the Apatow interview, I am many episodes behind the curve. I got a late start on the show, and I usually listen to the episodes in order, so I’m lagging by a few months. I can’t comment on more recent vintage.)
In sum, WTF is definitely worth the download. Especially considering it’s free.
Bumping this thread because I just discovered this podcast and am loving it.
Even though the format is a comedian interviewing (mostly) other comedians, I really think it’s not intended to be funny per se, although certainly there are funny moments. But for me that’s one of the things that makes it interesting: it’s a chance to hear these people talking about their lives and other topics of interest without it being part of a comic bit or whatever.
So far I’ve only listened to a handful. I listened to the Ed Helms one that was just released today, and it was pretty good. I also enjoyed the Conan O’Brien episode, and the Dave Foley one (although that one was kind of depressing).
I went ahead and got the iPhone app and paid for one month’s access to the archives ($1.99) so I can get all of the old episodes back to the beginning. Totally worth it so far.
I started listening to it a few months ago after reading this thread and I love it. It’s become one of my favorite podcasts. I just heard the Ira Glass one yesterday and I was just giddy listening to them each kinda deconstruct each others’ styles and the differences between them. And I could’ve listened to 2 more parts of a Judd Apatow interview. (may have to pony up for premium access to get the Carlos Mencia episodes after hearing Ira Glass praise them the way he did). And the Louis CK 2-parter was so genuine and touching.
BUT, I must say, the 2nd episode I listened to was the Gallagher one and I came away from it different than most it seems. I mean, yes I already knew (from a thread here) that he was indeed batshit crazy, and more than that, just a dickhead. And that’s what I was expecting to hear in the podcast. But what I remember was Marc Marron kinda poking him and poking him with the same question about his anti-gay jokes. Marron seemed to be on the attack, and I actually found myself feeling uncomfortable for Gallagher.
I wish I could remember which one I tried to listen to, but I couldn’t get through it. He was just rambling about reflecting on his life and spouting a lot of introspective pop psychology, and while it may have been cathartic for him, it was self-indulgent and boring to me, and I never even got to the interview part. I’ll give him another try - I was a big fan of his on Air America, so I was surprised and disappointed at the podcast. I’m a podcast junkie, starting my days with Adam Carolla, Keven Smith, Doug Benson and others, so I’m always looking for more, and he seemed a likely good fit. I’ve got the Gallagher one downloaded - maybe I should start there. I’ve also got Kathleen Madigan, Doug Benson and Paul Scheer on the iPod. Any recommendations? Is the Gallagher one a good one to re-start with?
Consider fast-forwarding through the initial part if it’s too annoying; I found it easier to take after listening to more of his interviews.
For quality of the discussion, I liked the ones with Ira Glass, Carlos Alazraqui, and Bob Saget. Glass’s has an interesting “meta” discussion about interviewing, Alazraqui gets into some good points about “racial” casting and does some voice acting demos (he’s not only the guy from Reno 911, he also did the voices of the Taco Bell Chihuahua and Rocko from Rocko’s Modern Life, among others), and he and Saget have a good talk about standup comedy and how Saget is still stereotyped as “the dad from Full House” - just as “you won’t believe he was the dad on Full House after listening to him!” I haven’t sat down and listened to some recently, but plan to after this reminder.
In addition to those mentioned, I would also suggest listening to ones with names you’re not familiar with. I find those are often surprisingly interesting because so much is revealed about the nature of the lifestyle of being a comic and the shared experiences that all in that world seem to have. I enjoy the window into this community.
Don’t start with the Gallagher one.
And yes, the opening segment somehow becomes more interesting after you come to enjoy the interviews.
Yeah, I’ll agree that the opening commentary from Maron isn’t really what draws me to the podcasts. I also agree that they become more tolerable with time, but you’re really not missing anything by just skipping through that stuff.
I would not start with Gallagher. I liked the Conan O’Brien one that he did recently quite a bit though.
I actually did not love the Bob Saget episode. I mean, it was OK, but Saget seemed to have more trouble than most of the interviewees in relaxing and settling into the interview without constantly cracking jokes and doing “bits”, you know? I found it off-putting to an extent.
Wow - you guys are quick!
Thanks so much for your comments. Knowing that’s not the meat of the podcast is reassuring - I’ll give Kathleen Madigan a whirl. I think she’s my favorite female comedian, so it’s a good bet.
I have to echo what others already said: I tried listening to it over a year ago and really didn’t like it (his opening bit just annoyed me).
I decided to try again this past fall and now consider it my favorite podcast. I especially love his recorded live shows.
For great episodes, check out the Dino one and the Joe Rogan one.
I’ve listened to a couple of episodes, and on your recommendation I’ll give it another try. The interviews were interesting, but it seemed like the episodes I heard opened with a lot of “okay, you and I had a falling-out because I was an asshole” stuff, and kept beating you over the head with Maron’s being a jerk in the past. I gave the series a pass, figuring that was gonna happen in every episode. But I hear there’s an iPad app, so I might download that and give it another chance.
It’s actually kind of funny in that he says that about every guest! I guess he’s just neurotic like that in thinking that everyone has a beef with him.
Yes, Max & Sparky, I had the same issue initially, although I’ve kind of grown sympathetic to his neurotic jew shtick.
When I first started listening I almost always skipped the first 10-15 minutes to get to the interviews, and they are almost all quite good… even the ones with people I was unfamiliar with going into them.
I just started listening to Maron’s podcasts recently as well. I started with the Gallagher one because there was an article in the AV Club about bad interviews and this was mentioned.
It’s interesting and I like listening to them, I’ve always been a fan of comedy but I’m kind of “out of it” now and don’t listen or watch much stand up nowdays. I’m really intrigued by some of the excluisive stuff, but I’m not willing to pay for it.
Marion’s not entirely free of that: many archived episodes are pay only, too. And all this sort of does is encourage people to download them. People tend to feel entitled to stuff that used to be free.
Okay, I’ll still look for some new episodes and give it another chance, but I’m passing on the iPad app. It has horrible reviews, as it apparently doesn’t really do much but maybe give you a push notification when a new one comes out, and paying to “upgrade” the app only gives you access to the back catalog, which you can already access via iTunes anyway. Lots of people pissed off about paying for nothing.
iTunes only has the past 50 episodes. The app allows you to get all the older ones. I think I paid $1.99 and was able to access the back catalogue for a few weeks. Frankly, that’s a pretty good deal for the content.
Another good thing about it is that it allows streaming of the content. A lot of times I’ll want to download a podcast but not have wifi access (20 mb limit for 3G downloads). With the app I can just listen via 3G without problem.