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About LinkBacksIt would be nice to have a sketch show on Earwolf. If I recall correctly they're out of NY too, which could allow AST-Approved™ comedians from the east coast to make appearances.
It would be nice to have a sketch show on Earwolf. If I recall correctly they're out of NY too, which could allow AST-Approved™ comedians from the east coast to make appearances.
TV innit
Also, a post-elimination blog post from the Fort has yet to emerge. Did they decide against writing one?
I MISS JAMESY SO MUCH! You just made me REALLY happy at the idea of gettin' my Adomian on.Originally Posted by KeithTalent
Eyes are the losers in the skies.
I posted this at Earwolf, but I'll post it here again: If you do not understand why a talking dog lawyer that says bark and woof and arf between human words and that offers a settlement of 8 million snausages is the most hilarious thing that has ever happened on this podcast, you should be shot into outer space in a rocket aimed towards the sun so that your disease does not spread to the rest of the human population.
Hilarious ribbing of the Earwolf "What is this? What are we doing?" Challenge from former judge PFT on Who Charted! today, including Paul F. doing his best Matt Besser.
I usually don't flame stuff, but Jesus Christ do I hate Totally Laime, and your post has inspired me to admit it. In fairness, I've only heard the clips supplied on the Earwolf Challenge, but I haven't heard Elizabeth Laime (sorry if I'm getting that name wrong) say one thing that's even close to humorous. She sounds like someone who takes improv classes so she can give better presentations at an office job, not someone who could deliver a joke or riff on a topic. Precious, maybe. Cute, yes; but, not funny, and funny is why I like earwolf.
The past two weeks, Left Handed Radio have been amazing. In fact, I'd be happy with any of the other podcasts winning.
While I do like Totally Laime, I don't think they should win this competition, and I don't think they're going to. Seems to be down to the Dum Dums or Left Handed Radio, and I would happy with either one being the winner. Even with its problems, I have found this to be a consistently entertaining podcast, and even the guests have had time to shine and say things that are hilarious (like Jordan Morris' mayonnaise corner).
Left Handed Radio remain the clear front-runners for me. Loved Jordan Morris's appearance too.
I think their chemistry is both a blessing and a curse. They sometimes have more comedic ideas in three minutes than either Totally Laime or The Dum Dum Club does in whole episodes, but, maybe because because they're not professional funny people, they don't always deliver them in a coherent way. They're also more in the nerd comedy niche than the general comedy genre that TL and LDDC are, and that could hurt them.
I like them though. It's half a decade since I played video games but I still enjoy when they get to riffing on them.
I've listened to a few of their shows too but I can't deny that vapid is a fairly accurate tag for Totally Laime (and to be fair to them, that's what their tagline promises). They seem like nice people, what with animal shelters and all, and Andy is actually pretty funny at times, but the high-pitched gigglyness of the whole thing wears on me after a while.
i'm going to be a judge on the show, do you guys think i should listen to a few eps first or go in cold?
(and why)
I think the reoccurring theme is that the competitors should present something that a first-time listener could get their head around, whether they be a new audience member or a bigwig being pitched to (even if that doesn't really exist yet in podcasting like it does in film and TV). So I think it's true to the spirit of the contest if you go in with totally fresh ears.
I would say yes, because it's the biggest critique that we get on the forums. But I mean, it's also a nice chunk of time, so whatevz.
Also, YAY!
Eyes are the losers in the skies.
Sure Doug, if were to be a judge I'd want to go in a with at least a vague idea of who the current contestants are, and the latest ep. that gives this to you is 7.2 - Original Content. You'll get 3 minutes of each show and a bit of discussion from Matt, Jordan, and Kulap, but no final judgments. It's 45 minutes, not a major investment, and most of the entries are solid bits.
Of course the whole season has been an enjoyable and informative listen, but by this time, over half of the original contestants have been eliminated, so there's little point in you catching up on it from the beginning. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands… and really love to hear Besser talk seriously about comedy. (which I do)
visit me in the culture dungeon
Listening to the First Interview clips from the remaining four shows would probably give you a good idea of who the contestants are:
http://www.earwolf.com/guest/bobanddancast/
http://www.earwolf.com/guest/lefthandedradio/
http://www.earwolf.com/guest/littledumdumclub/
http://www.earwolf.com/guest/totallylaimepodcast/
I think that listening to the last presentation episode (7.2) would be helpful. Again, as others have pointed out, the judges have rarely had any experience with the competing shows, but that has also been a point of major contention with the listeners. I think that listening to the most recent presentation episode will give you just enough context to make an informed judgment, without fostering biases.
Elizabeth Laime's last name is an anagram for "eMail."
What's the point of this competition?
I'm going to try to say this without sounding too cynical or negative, because I genuinely like this show and appreciate all the thought and effort that has gone into it. But this is my feeling as of now: none of the shows in this season were/are worthy of being on Earwolf. Jeff and Scott were perhaps hoping that lightning would strike, and it hasn't. Some podcasts might improve and mature to become Earworthy, but as of now, none have.
Of course this is a reflection of my bias that Earwolf is still in it's first phase of expansion. I regularly listen to about half of it's current roster. The few that I don't love (Glitter, Blastoff, Apples) have only been around a few months and may still grow on me. Who Charted and Sklarbro took awhile for me to hook into, but I am now fully on board with both.
It just seems to me that this first season of the Challenge (and I assume there will be more in the future, maybe even featuring some of the same contestants) is more interesting as a show in itself, rather than about finding a killer new show for the network. The fact that all current Earwolf shows come from the same stable of UCBLA/CBB regulars gives it a unifying voice. Looking outside seems like a good idea, but I question if the prospect of year-long contract with an Australian comedy podcast is really what Earwolf needs to attract new listeners and potential advertising dollars (no slam on the Dum-Dum's intended - they make me laugh pretty regularly with their submissions).
Let's be honest, America loves reality shows where people get eliminated for sometimes arbitrary reasons and an often unqualified victor emerges. At this point in the season, after hearing complaints about some show being unfairly dumped, I am reminded of the fact that in the many years of "Last Comic Standing" being on network TV, people like Doug Benson, Jimmy Pardo, Jackie Kashian, and Eddie Pepitone lost to folks like… well, I don't even know their names because they didn't go on to do anything notable. It is brilliant that Jeff & Scott were able to create a show that both taps into a pop culture trend that thinking people despise, while also making it about something that "hip" people like us adore for it's sense of adventure. For me, the EWC is an end unto itself.
The urge to define what makes a podcast good or attractive is a noble goal, but perhaps still too vague to gauge in a competition with rules, judges, and whatnot. I look at the Earwolf Challenge as a work-in-progress. I can't help but wonder how different this competition would have gone had the listeners been allowed to vote. Probably total chaos…
visit me in the culture dungeon
I get what you're saying, but I think Left-Handed Radio (and, perhaps, only Left-Handed Radio, since the EWC is still in its first year) would fit well in the Earwolf family. If we only get one good show out of the competition, and the competition itself was fun to listen to, I think that it was a success and will only grow in the years to come. Also, the great thing about podcasts is that one is never obligated to listen to them. Maybe a show that you don't like ends up winning. You can throw them in the section with Professor Blastoff, Glitter in the Garbage and the Apple Sisters as shows that you just aren't into. Win win.
Just speaking for myself, I find this show entertaining even if it's just a road to nowhere. I was invested enough to go to the internet and say that I didn't like a show, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. To be honest, the most fun part of this show is Matt Besser as the host, and the different pairing of judges, so I hope they keep doing the show based on that alone.
Last edited by James Morris; August 27, 2011 at 9:03 AM. Reason: typo
I think you realy nailed a lot of salient points Finnias. I also agree with Fritz that LHR is the only show which comes across as consistently funny enough to be Wolf-worthy to me and with James that The Challenge is entertaining even if it's just a road to nowhere because Matt and the judges are the real stars of the show.
I also agree with Natalie that Elizabeth Laime's last name is an anagram for "eMail".
(p.s. I don't even know if I used the word "salient" right but I sure felt smart typing it.)
i listened to the shows from this week to prepare for my appearance today (plops tuesday/wednesday) and i'm glad i did.
(how's that for salient?)
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