The Daily Grill

Podcast Review: No Pressure To Be Funny; Series 4, Episode 2

Dry and sarcastic or lewd and absurd — no matter how you slice it, I love British humor. And the lads behind the No Pressure To Be Funny podcast have concocted a winning combo of chat, monologues, music, and rants that delivers on all fronts. The brainchild of English comedians Nick Revell and Alistair Barrie, the show is fronted by LBC talk radio host James O’Brien. Performed before a live audience, each show features a different panel of guests every episode. Drawn from the arts, media, and politics, the crew for the latest outing includes Rob Grant, Simon Munnery, Kevin Day, and Polly Toynbee in addition to the show’s creators.

There’s a James Bond theme song with lyrics designed to reflect the economy of the day (“he has to pay to renew his license to kill, and the only reason he doesn’t shower alone is to cut down on the water bill; because Tomorrow Never Dies, just like the Bond franchise…”) There’s a panel discussion of the morals crisis infesting the BBC that’s recently come to light as well as the recent US elections. And, in my favorite tirade of the episode, series co-creator Revell levels a martini-dry accounting of the British involvement in the war in Afghanistan.

The only shortcoming of No Pressure is that it only drops once a month and that’s no laughing matter.

— Marc Hershon

Originally published 12.6.2012 in This Week In Comedy Podcasts on Splitsider.com

Succotash Epi28: Hawaiian With David Lee

Greetings, Succotashians! I think this may be a record of time between episodes for the show. Apologies for the delay. Work, mostly, and I'm three weeks into a new diet which took some reconfiguring of my energy reserves to get the show done.

Good news is that the diet's going well - dropped about 15 pounds in 3 weeks - but now Succotash is bloated. This week's epi runs about an hour and 15 minutes. We have much clippage to share, a funny song by Britcom Isabel Fay that's burning up the internet, a classic spot from our friends at Henderson's Pants, and our Burst O' Durst with our Ambassador to The Middle WIll Durst.

The core of our show this time around is my interview with Hawaiian comedian David Lee.

I first heard about David from his father when I was vacationing on Oahu last year. His dad's a bartender at the Outrigger Canoe Club and as we got to talking, he seemed a little less than pleased that his boy was pursuing the comedy, and was doing it in Colorado Springs of all places. Being a supporter of those who have chosen the noble profession, I was determined to get David a little attention, so I tracked him down and we got this epi's interview recorded via Skype a few days ago.

 

His journey to the comedy stage is an interesting one, especially when you consider that not many stand-ups get their start as a drug dealer. David reveals that and more in our chat. 

I wanted to give a nudge to some of the places you can get Succotash nowadays, in addition to the omnipresent iTunes. Stitcher Smart Radio is a great way to stream our show to your device, whether you're on an Android or iOS gadget. And each episode gets rebroadcast over at Clutch & Wiggle Entertainment Radio, so you can pick us up there. Then there are a couple of other apps to check out as well. I've been talking up Podbay, which taps directly into iTunes' podcast library and stream whatever you select to your iDevice. And now Apple has just launched their own podcast app, which allows you to select, stream and/or download your favorite shows. 

Enough biz. Let's get to the stuff. Here's what's what on Epi28:
 
Probably Science
Your affable podscientists Matt Kirshen, Brooks Wheelan and Andy Wood return, along with their guest Bil Dwyer of TV's Battlebot fame. Thesse guys have such a good time kicking around some every day sorts of stories that this clip doesn't even get into the meaty, sciencey part of the show. (Incidentally, I'm reviewing this particular epi of PS as part of This Week In Comedy Podcasts over on Splitsider this week!)
 
I Am Idiot
Howard, Ben and Keith continue to crankout the p’casts and give us Yanks hope that not everyone in the UK is as sophisticated and cultured as that English accent would have us believe.
 
Proudly Resents
Billing itself as “The Cult Movie Podcast”, this show tends to be pretty funny, thank to host Adam Spiegelman and his guests, who are frequently comedians. In this case, guest Bobcat Goldthwait gets together for Part 1 of a two-part interview. The clip we have features Bobcat talking about how some famous people got in (and out) of his directorial debut, the cult curio Shakes The Clown.
 
Rob & Joe Show
Rob Maher and Joe Robinson do their show live every Monday night on http://RobAndJoeShow.com. They’ve got features and guests, just like a real radio show. In the clip they've sent along, they’re talking about a potential new snack food: Dolphin!
 
Sal & Angelo Podcast
Local (to me) podcast by San Francisco comics Sal Calanni and Angelo recently featured an interview with standup Kellen Erskine. We feature a clip with Kellen relating his perspective on the topic of auditioning for TV shows like Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent.
 
Thank You Hater by Clever Pie & Isabel Fay
People complain that the internet has become a place where people get away with posting outrageous things to others, mostly because they’re anonymous and there’s no retribution. Isabel Fay is a comedian in Britain who has decided to go after her faceless detractors in song. I wonder how many of the trolls Isabel is talking about in Thank You Hater have seen her video? 

  

Electric Bonnoland

Comedian/musician/artist Chris Bonno has done audio podcasts before but Electric Bonnoland is video and truly weird. Chris’ guest is friend-of-Succotash and TV’s Dean Haglund, from the Chillpak Hollywood Hour. We've got the meaty part of the audio on our podcast, but Electic Bonnoland has to be seen to be...seen.

  

Mimberz & The A-Hole

I don’t know a lot about Mimberz and The A-Hole, a couple of guys podcasting “proudly out of Tampa, Florida”. But they’re past 50 epis now and they’re not afraid to talk about anything. Click in for a taste of MATA…

The Rigid Fist
New to the podcast scene is The Rigid Fist, an offering from Britain hosted by Kat Soren.(CORRECTION: The show's from Australia! Sorry, Kat!) I don’t know a whole lot about it, just that it’s getting some early talk up from some of the guys that like us — Royal & Doodall, Gee & Jay — the usual suspects. It seems to be Kat by himself but I’ve gotten the one clip. According to the homesite, there’s Uncle Morty and then various random guests. Kat sent in a rather sketchy boyhood tale.

That's pretty much going to do it for your load of Succotash this time around. Don't hog the plate - when you're done, be sure to pass it around!

— Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi10: Dana & Scott Carvey @ Studio P!

WARNING: Episode 10 is not our typical 'sode. (Actually, I 'm not sure - in the first 10 episodes of our podcast - that we have anything that can be pointed to as "typical".) Anyway, what I mean is that this edition of Succotash, The Comedy Podcast Podcast, has no comedy podcast clips in it.

Dana and Scott Carvey sharing memories at Studio P

It does, however, offer something you're not going to find anywhere else in Podcastland: A visit with comedian Dana Carvey and his brother, Scott Carvey, who also happens to be Succotash's musical director. For the first time in podcast history, the Carvey boys sit down and talk about their love of sports, running, music, comedy...and anything else that this free-ranging discussion happened to hit upon.

I think this show represents a true "find" for the comedy aficionado, comedy nerd, Carvey fan and anyone else who enjoys a one-of-a-kind experience. (Special thanks this week to our Engineer/Producer Joe Paulino for doing a bangup job in editing this weeks offering!)

Although we don't have any podcast clips featured this show, we do have our regular feature, our Burst O' Durst with political comedian extraordinaire Will Durst. Then we'll be back to a full rack of comedy podcast clips in our next edition, Epi11, along with Durst, and commercials from our sponsor, Henderson's Pants.

In the meantime, if you have a question, comment or suggestion, please hit up our Tweet Sack via @SucctotashShow or [email protected]; or you can dial into our Succotash Hotline: (800) 921-7212.

— Marc Hershon

Fight The Conspiracy Keeping You From Seeing This Movie Premiere!

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE follows actor-artist-inventor-improv comic Dean Haglund (best know as one of the computer-hacking Lone Gunmen from "The X-Files" and their own spin-off series) as he travels the world, hoping to learn what it means to search for the truth in a world where conspiracies, or conspiracy theories are everywhere.

(IS there a conspiracy to keep people from going to the U.S. premiere on Saturday, May 21st, at the Retro Dome in San Jose? If this is the first you're hearing about the movie, maybe so...)

A true epic that is equal parts comedy, consciousness and conspiracy, the film had its World Premiere on 30 April at the British Film Institute in London.

"This is one of those films that you will have to watch more than once. It's a timeless piece of work and destined to become a legend." - John Bryan, SlideTV

"All in all, THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE is a call to all eager for more knowledge and new insights: They should dare to think beyond current boundaries and not let anyone limit their power of imagination. It is not THE truth that is out there, but rather several truths that wait to be discovered." - Anastasia Hansen, The Junction (Germany).

"THE TRUTH JUST MIGHT BE IN HERE - Examines the world of conspiracy theories in a refreshing and novel way." - Marc Hershon, The Huffington Post (Hey, that's ME!!!)

On Saturday 21 May, at The Retro Dome in San Jose, California, we will be having the US Premiere of the film. The screening will be followed by a brief intermission, and then Dean Haglund and director Phil Leirness will take the stage to do a live installment of our weekly podcast show, Chillpak Hollywood Hour. They will answer questions from the audience and share stories of our adventures on the road.

Because Dean, Phil and producer Lyle Skosey are completely self-distributing the film, they are relying on the help of kindred spirits to help get the TRUTH out there.

If there is anyone you know in, or near, the San Francisco Bay Area, who might enjoy what I expect to be a really fun night, I'd greatly appreciate you helping the guys spread the word.

Tickets can and should be obtained in advance exclusively through Everbrite.

Movie info, the trailer and a link to the tickets can be found at the official site.

The Truth Just Might Be In Here

Full disclosure: I'm a huge conspiracy buff.

Not in the sense that I believe in UFOs, hybrid alien-human star babies, FEMA death camps or many of the other theories that fuel the hearts and minds of the delightfully paranoid. I'm just a fan of the idea of conspiracies. That one can construct an intricate and detailed web of connections and associations that, with very little effort or even imagination, can explain any number of events as being the intended result of planning by some nefarious cabal of secret power mongers.

Knowing that, it's small wonder that I enjoyed watching The Truth Is Out There unfold as it does. The new documentary by Phil Leirness examines the world of conspiracy theories in a refreshing and novel way: Through the eyes of a conspiracy buff. Or, at least, alongside the eyes of one. Namely Dean Haglund, an actor and comedian probably best known from his role as Langley, a recurring role on TV's The X Files. (Appropriately, his character was one of "The Lone Gunmen," a trio of conspiracy enthusiasts that were consulted from time to time by FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on the show. The three had such a wide following that Fox produced a short-lived spin-off series -- the pilot show of which was so eerily close to the events of 9-11, which was still 8 months away when the episode aired, that it's become a part of conspiracy folklore itself.)

During the course of the film (a long watch, by the way, with a running time of nearly two and a half hours), Leirness follows Haglund around the United States, Canada and parts of Europe as he drops into various New Age expos, UFO conventions and one-on-one interviews with proponents of assorted conspiracy-flavored viewpoints on one subject or another. One challenge of a project of this undertaking is how do you decide what to focus on? There are, after all, conspiracies around so many things -- politics, the economy, medicine, UFOs, etc. -- so how to pick where to point the camera must have been a head scratcher, right?

No such decision necessary, as it turns out. Leirness and Haglund have created a film that is like a Whitman Sampler of conspiracy theories. But rather than being a mishmash of earnestly crazy kooks, spouting outrageous claims about the groups and bogeymen in the shadows, what emerges is a thoughtful journey of Haglund interacting with people who lay out their takes in measured, reasonable tones. Never mind that one woman claims to be the hybrid product of humans and aliens. Or the strident radio announcer decrying the impending jack boots of the New World Order. Everyone is allowed to speak about their subject without interruption or objection by Haglund, who alternately nods with understanding or expresses surprise at some revelation of information.

Leirness has then assembled the material in a very cool way. It almost feels like a music score the way the narrative travels back and forth between the conspiracies and the subjects speaking about them. The documentary is broken down almost in terms of categories -- the UFO and aliens in one section, the government elements in another, medical subjects all together as well. What emerges is a picture of how the threads of these various stories begin to weave (or sometimes tangle) together.

As Haglund finds each subject and urges them to expound on their complot du jour, the UFO conspiracies begin to blend neatly into the medical conspiracies which then find connections in the government conspiracies. There's no one subject -- Haglund included -- that explains or assumes that. There's no need -- the film does that itself but never obviously -- you're left to discover that "conspiracy of conspiracies" yourself, if you can separate the forest from the trees.

There's a subplot of sorts as Haglund interacts with a motivational psychotherapist, Dr. Nicki J. Monti, attempting to delve into the truth of the Self. It seems the most circuitous route in the movie, as Haglund deflects a number of Dr. Monti's attempts at peeling back elements that Dean himself proclaims may have been getting in the way of his life and career over the years.

Back on the trail of the ever-growing host of conspiracies, the longer that each subject talks about their subject, with Haglund alternately wide-eyed or perhaps aghast at the information being revealed, the more often the conspiracies begin to teeter under their own convoluted logic. None of them actually gets to the point of falling completely to pieces. In fact, in a few cases, the information is downright compelling with few seams showing.

By the film's end you're left with the idea that the truth must, surely, be "out there" -- whether at a distance from the reality you know or just around the corner, one can't be sure -- and there is sure to be at least one or two threads viewers might be enticed to pick up and follow for themselves, if only to prove, once and for all, that truth can't possibly be stranger than fiction.

— Marc Hershon

Time To Not Take A Stand

Global Warming versus Climate Change versus Natural Cycles. Peak oil versus Abiotic oil. Diet Coke versus Coke Zero. The world has become increasingly fractionalized to the point that, even when you decide what it is you stand for, there are often more sides to your side than you originally thought.

Maybe it's time to just lay low for a little while. Let the dust settle on some of the more ridiculous conflicts and take a few moments to try and figure out exactly what's going on. Even that's not always easy with peer pressure, special interest groups and tea party rallies.

Which is why I've created a way to look like you're involved in something specific. Something Important. Maybe even something dangerous so that people think twice about enlisting you for their particular cause.

It's time to join the T.D.S.F.A. Which stands for This Doesn't Stand For Anything.

I've put together a mishmash of Mystic Symbols that look like they should mean something. The sign of an Ancient Order, perhaps, from the dawn of time. But, no. It doesn't stand for anything.

But it sure looks Important.

If you want to join up — TDSFA doesn't have meetings, agendas or dues — you can pick up a t-shirt, coffee mug or sweatshirt at The Daily Grill Online Junk. Or not.

He Died For Our Stick-Figured Sins

I love when religious types get their signals crossed when it comes to their sacred cows. In this case, 8-year-old Chester Johnson had been assigned to make a Christmas drawing as part of a class project. Turns out the administration at his school in Taunton, Mass., didn't much care for his stick figure drawing of Jesus Christ on the cross. (See the figure to the right...)

They sent Chester home from school. But that wasn't the worst of their hypocritical stance: They ordered the boy to undergo a psychological evaluation.

Okay, let's see. You're an 8-year-old child who has, given the subject of Chester's drawing, attended a Christmas Mass or two in your few years on Earth. Not to mention almost every Sunday if you're part of a God-fearing Christian family and community. What would be the one enduring symbol of your religion? The one thing that would be burned into your head?

Oh, yeah.

That guy nailed to the boards, right up in front, over the head of the other guy in the robes warning you to be good or the guy stuck to the boards is going to get you.

Little Chester should be given a pass on this absurdity. What's more, it seems like the morons of Taunton are the ones that need to have their heads examined.

UPDATE: Thanks to reader Debbie Wolfe for pointing me to a recent press release issued by Taunton Public Schools in which they point out that a number of inaccuracies about this story have been punched up by the media. Check it out here.

Just In Case God's Busy

86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided, despite opposition from some of their colleagues, to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying "millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors." Gee, I guess the prayers aren't working.