Latest Episodes
May 15, 2017
Magic can’t solve everything. Maybe the Milkweeds can help us with some natural remedies. Also, Chunt is now in a power position.
Credits
Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Fig and Maple Milkweed: Nick Mestad and Emma Pope
Glen Weldon: Glen Weldon
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi
Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi
Editor: Ryan DiGiorgi
Theme Music: Andy Poland
Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban
Audio Assistance: Jason Knox
Production Assistance: Garrett Schultz
May 15, 2017
Paul F. Tompkins welcomes adult men and women back to Spontaneanation! This week, Paul’s special guest is singer-songwriter Ted Leo! They chat about when was the last time Ted cried out of happiness, a story about a determined tortoise, and going from having a fear of animals as a kid to now living with a cat. Paul is then joined by Colleen Smith, Craig Cackowski, and Jordan Black, to improvise a story set in Life Drawing Class. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!
If you’d like to provide a location for the improv on a future episode, follow @Spontaneanation on Twitter so you won/t miss the prompt!
This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: PFT), Dollar Shave Club (www.dollarshaveclub.com/PFT), Leesa.com (www.leesa.com code: PFT), and BullGoose Shaving (www.bullgooseshaving.com code: PFT).
May 15, 2017
EP. 102 — The Fellowship of the Ring vs. The Return of the King (w/ Joanna Robinson & David Chen)
Guest Joanna Robinson David Chen
Joanna Robinson (Vanity Fair) and David Chen (/Film) join Amy this week to pit the bookends of The Lord of the Rings trilogy against one another in the ultimate battle for Middle-Earth canonization. They discuss and debate the relative technological strides each film achieved, the narrative significance of central character arcs, and Peter Jackson’s masterful (and sometimes questionable) retooling of key scenes from the books. Is FOTR or ROTK the one film to rule The Canon? Head to the Earwolf forums to cast your vote now!
May 12, 2017
Welcome back to The Straight Poop from NPR. Join host Margo Margo (Christine Lakin) as she gets into the nitty gritty with special guest and child star Victoria Conch. They’ll talk about how Victoria was discovered in the ward at Cedars-Sinai hospital, her groundbreaking performance as a horse in her Nickelodeon show “Holy Colorado,” and her biggest regret being the time she let her brother on a broken Batman ride at Magic Mountain. Plus, Traci Reardon stops in to help her Twitter followers with their fame questions in another edition of “Help Me, Rhonda.”
May 12, 2017
Stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings (The Female Brain) joins Paul, June, and Jason to discuss the 1988 comedy science fiction film My Stepmother Is an Alien. Recorded live from Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, they’ll talk about the horny adults party with kid waiters, Kim Basinger having conversations with the purse worm, Jon Lovitz improvising, and where Dan Aykroyd falls on the sex chart. Put her in a brar!
This episode is brought to you by SKYN condoms (www.buycondoms.online code: BONKERS), Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: BONKERS), Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/bonkers), and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/how).
San Francisco: HDTGM will be at Colossal Clusterfest June 2-4th. Go to www.clusterfest.com for ticket info!
Check out new HDTGM merch over at https://www.teepublic.com/user/howdidthisgetmade
Where to Find Jason, June & Paul:
Paul’s new comedy Drive Share is available on Go90. You can see June and Paul on NTSF:SD:SUV:: on HULU. June stars in Grace and Frankie on Netflix, as well as Lady Dynamite alongside with Jason.
Jason can be seen in The Lego Batman Movie, How to Be Single, Sleeping with Other People, and is still indeed in The Dictator.
May 12, 2017
Negin phones in from a gig in Salt Lake City, Utah to chat with Benari Poulten (Garbage Time with Katie Nolan) and Kaitlin Fontana (The Box) about the biggest news of the week: Trump firing FBI Director James Comey. They discuss the Comey fallout and ponder the all-dude Senate working group that’s rewriting the latest G.O.P. health care bill. Plus, Negin drops knowledge on the (unsurprisingly) huge chasm between our social media selves and our IRL selves.
This episode is brought to you by FilterBuy (www.filterbuy.com/fake), Aaptiv (www.aaptiv.com code: FAKE), Credo Mobile, Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/FAKE).
May 12, 2017
Comedian Josh Adam Meyers (The Goddamn Comedy Jam) joins the Sklars to go all nuts and bolts on their sports fandom together. The Bros give their take on the Adam Jones incident before talking to Josh about the Wizards’ prospects and their rivalry with the Celtics. During Quick Hits, we hear of a man dumping his friend’s ashes in ball parks across the country and Helen Mirren’s strange Instagram presence, and finally, the Sklars listen to a voicemail from actor Christoph Waltz regarding the latest NBA trade rumors.
This episode is sponsored by ZipRecrutier (www.ziprecruiter.com/happy).
May 11, 2017
Nothing says relaxation like the 20th anniversary of Snapped: Scott Peterson, The Handmaid’s Tale, or Sally Yates reading Ted Cruz to filth. Bryan and Erin needed to chill after getting worked up about Alabama’s HB24 – which allows adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples who want to adopt – and Kentucky’s Gov. Matt Bevin’s war on the last abortion clinic in the state. Ciao!
May 11, 2017
This week: Edd “Kookie” Byrnes! Gary Lewis & the Playboys! Revisiting Jimmy Webb! And Moms Mabley covers Barry Manilow!
May 11, 2017
EP. 2014 — Jay Mohr
Guest Jay Mohr
Taking shelter with Jay Mohr.
This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/happy) and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/pardo).
May 11, 2017
Author, podcaster, and co-creator of Drop the Mic, Jensen Karp (Kanye West Owes Me $300, Get Up On This) joins Sarah and Susan to talk about growing up crying with his mom, Mike & The Mechanics’ “The Living Years,” the 1989 film Dad, Kirk Gibson’s game winning home run during the 1988 World Series, Alan Watts’ “The Mind,” and the finale of Six Feet Under.
This episode is brought to you by Le Tote (www.letote.com code: CRYBABY) and Third Love (www.thirdlove.com/CRYBABIES).
May 11, 2017
EP. 306 — The Promise
Guest Houshang Touzie Omid Abtahi Oded Fehr Marshall Manesh Charlie Weber Adam Tsekhman Brian George Mo Gallini Nazneen Contractor Franklin Leonard
Please enjoy the sixth Earmovie of Season 3, “The Promise” written by Chris Salmanpour. It stars Houshang Touzie (Ata), Omid Abtahi (Reza), Oded Fehr (Afshin, et al), Marshall Manesh (Said, et al), Charlie Weber (Tom), Adam Tsekhman (Sassan, et al), Brian George (Cleric Hussein, et al), Mo Gallini (Iranian Man, et al), Nazneen Contractor (Golnar, et al), and Franklin Leonard (Narrator).
May 11, 2017
Dan Lippert, Jon Mackey, Ryan Rosenberg, and Drew Tarver of Big Grande (Teacher’s Lounge) join Matt Besser this week for improvised scenes about hiding your shitty car from your girlfriend, going with the Conehead look for your headshot, and finding a role for Liam Neeson’s brother in the next “Taken.” Plus, they put up offensive signs in the name of wordplay, and a group of pizza delivery drivers get vengeful when they aren’t tipped.
This episode is sponsored by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: IMPROV).
May 11, 2017
It’s hard to find a bright spot in the 2016 election, but born woke, political commentator and analyst Angela Rye was one. A regular on CNN’s thuderdome-like panels, Angela doesn’t mince words calling out lies and advocating for people of color and women. In this episode of #politicallyreactive we speak with Angela about authenticity and difficult conversations. Click “play” to find out why Angela is not trying to be objective.
Follow Angela on Twitter (@angela_rye ).
Book tours, TV shows, standup – oh my! Catch Kamau in-person for his The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell book tour or on TV for CNN’s United Shades of America! More info at http://www.wkamaubell.com/. And Hari really, REALLY wants you to come see him on tour – find dates at: http://www.harikondabolu.com/.
Got a comment or suggestion? Email us at politicallyreactive@firstlook.
This episode is brought to you by Church & State, Audible, ZipRecruiter (www.ziprecruiter.com/reactive), Left (www.lyft.com/reactive), and MeUndies (www.meundies.com/pr).
May 10, 2017
The Shrimps take on the Princess Layups at North Weddington Gym. Mark McConville and special guest Kristina Rodgers call the action.
The Shrimps on Twitter: pistolshrimpsbb
The Shrimps on Instagram: @thepistolshrimps
Pistol Shrimps Radio on Twitter: @shrimpsradio
Pistol Shrimps Radio on Instagram: @pistolshrimpsradio
Matt Gourley on Twitter and IG: @mattgourley
Mark McConville on Twitter and Instagram: @markmcconville
May 10, 2017
Pop culture scholar, USC professor, writer, and podcaster Karen Tongson (Pop Rocket) joins Andrew to discuss the French election, Boston Red Sox fans racist abuse on Adam Jones, tempers flaring over removal of confederate statues in New Orleans, and much more. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.
May 10, 2017
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (Naomi Ekperigin) and Senator Mitch McConnell (Andy Beckerman) join the boys this week in some heated debates over hot topics like carnivals, PT Cruisers and Palmers cocoa butter. Plus, we get the details on what Patrick Stewart’s orgasm is like and more!
This episode is brought to you by Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/HARD code: HARD).
May 10, 2017
EP. 61 — Ant-Man and Prisoners with David Dastmalchian and guest hosted by Steve Agee!
Guest David Dastmalchian Steve Agee
While Matt is off getting married and honeymooned, I Was There Too will feature a special run of guest hosted episodes! This week actor David Dastmalchian joins guest host Steve Agee to discuss the 2013 thriller Prisoners and the 2015 superhero film Ant-Man. David tells us about being very grateful about landing the part of Bob Taylor in Prisoners, thinking he had actually hurt Jake Gyllenhaal during filming, and being thankful to director Denis Villeneuve for the opportunity to be a part of Blade Runner 2049. Then, David talks about the many improvised lines during the filming of Ant-Man, contributing to his character’s wardrobe & love of Elvis, and tricking Paul Rudd into believing he was actually Russian. Plus, David and Steve bond over similar circumstances when it came to testing to become a part of the Marvel family.
This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: WASTHERE) and Harry’s (www.harrys.com/IWTT).
May 10, 2017
Improviser and actress Lauren Lapkus returns to Who Charted this week for a mid-May chartfest! She joins Howard and Kulap in counting down the Top 5 Songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 while pondering over Miley Cyrus’s new leaf and lamenting swimming lesson struggles, and they share their favorite products from Shark Tank during the TV Chart. Plus, Kulap reports on her yogativities, and Howard gets a furry visitor during Two Charted!
This episode is brought to you by 2 Dope Queens (www.spotify.com/dopequeens).
May 9, 2017
Singer and YouTuber Rebecca Black joins Jensen and Matty to talk about how she learned about the overnight sensation of her song “Friday,” developing as an artist & recording new music, Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Styrke, British singer Jorja Smith, Poppy, how we were late on edibles, and many more things you should know about.
May 9, 2017
Big parties with lawyers gathered around piles of cocaine. Inequality in the criminal justice system. Huge corporations ripping off the families of jailed inmates. Gethard talks to a public defender about these topics, and discovers her favorite word: alleged.
This episode is brought to you by Talkspace (www.talkspace.com/beautiful), Adam and Eve (www.adamandeve.com code: STORIES), and Masters of Scale podcast.
May 9, 2017
Craig Ferguson returns to the show with a bit more piss than vinegar this time. Life and how to make sense of it is dissected and celebrated, with a dash of good will to all.
May 9, 2017
Sean and Hayes are joined by ZEKE NICHOLSON of Lopez for a discussion of how to get so much work done.
This episode is brought to you by Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/handbook) and Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/handbook).
May 9, 2017
Comedian Jonathan Rowell joins Emily and Deanna this week to talk dating older, Jenner family politics, and how to impress as a sugar baby. Then, the girls get to know Jonathan with 5 Questions, and they break down the new promo for the new Echo Look before playing a game of Swipe Left Or Right.
This episode is sponsored by ThirdLove (www.thirdlove.com/omfg).
May 8, 2017
In a special live episode (in association with the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival), Gilbert and Frank welcome Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson, who recalls his early days as a sketch performer, his collaborations with comedy icons Carol Burnett, Mel Brooks and Tim Conway, and the experience of directing Dustin Hoffman to an Oscar in “Rain Man.” Also, Warren Beatty breaks Gilbert’s heart, Jackie Gayle riffs on “Bonanza,” Rodney Dangerfield runs afoul of the law and “Diner” influences future generations of filmmakers. PLUS: The curse of The Mummy! The brilliance of Bruno Kirby! The “magic” of Art Metrano! Jack Riley salutes Jack Benny! And Barry remembers the dynamic Robin Williams!
This episode is brought to you by BullGoose Shaving (www.bullgooseshaving.com code: GILBERT) and The Rant is Due with Lewis Black (www.audible.com/lewisblack).
May 8, 2017
The script is different but the wording is always roughly the same. Every few months some retiring journalist, former tech-mogul or aspiring Tomi Lahren-type goes viral because they’ve had it up to *here* with these gosh darn millennials. Between their clamoring for single-payer healthcare and their complaining about unpaid internships, it’s like they hate America or something. Why can’t they appreciate what they’ve got and be exactly what the generation before wants them to be?
We’ve heard it a million times and, frankly, it’s all bullshit. You know how we know? Because every generation has been lodging the same 4 complaints about their successors since the beginning of the written language (and probably before that too). Grug and all the other teens don’t care about hunting mammoths like their fathers, they just sit around playing with those newfangled *wheels* all day. As long as we keep having kids, this will happen until the end of time.
On this week’s podcast, resident Gen-X’er-in-chief Jack O’Brien welcomes young upstarts Katie Goldin, Brett Rader and Josh Sargent onto the show to discuss why this never-ending argument is bullshit. They discuss some flaws in logic behind popular anti-millennial rants and call out some shady statistics that news outlets circulate to prop-up these arguments.
And make sure to get tickets to our next LIVE Cracked Podcast, coming up on Saturday, May 13th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles. Jack O’Brien is joined by Cracked’s Carmen Angelica, Alex Schmidt and Michael Swaim, and comedian Blake Wexler to combine the podcast’s two favorite topics: great moments in history and binge drinking.
They’ll discuss the drafting of the US Constitution, the Russian Revolution and other famous moments in history where everyone was completely sh*tfaced. Tickets are only $7 and available here: https://goo.gl/PWmm2y
Footnotes:
Article: Cracked: This Millennial Rant Deserves A Trophy For Being Most Wrong: https://goo.gl/7xeex8
Article: The Society Pages: Adventures in Garbage-Millennial Confirmation Bias: https://goo.gl/cri4JA
Article: Cracked: 5 Lies Millennials And Baby Boomers Believe About Each Other: https://goo.gl/lFWuCt
Article: Cracked: 4 Terrible Parts of Pop Culture (With Weird Bright Sides): https://goo.gl/fIEPXj
Article: The New Yorker: The Big Uneasy: https://goo.gl/RyCzrx
Article: The New Yorker: The “Founder” Generation’s Creation Myth: https://goo.gl/Fn73e8
Book: Morley Winograd: Millennial Momentum: https://goo.gl/PfxdRb
This episode is brought to you by Audible (www.audible.com/CRACKED) and Adam and Eve (www.adamandeve.com code: CRACKED).
May 8, 2017
The Dark Lord’s Chef Inquisitor pays a visit. And that is not a typo.
Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Dripfang: Kevin Sciretta
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi
Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi
Editor: Garrett Schultz
Theme Music: Andy Poland
Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban
Audio Assistance: Jason Knox
Production Assistance: Garrett Schultz
May 8, 2017
Paul F. Tompkins welcomes ladies and gentleman to this new experience of your life known as Spontaneanation! This week, Paul’s special guests are Katy Colloton and Katie O’Brien of TV Land’s Teachers! They chat about what song they always have stuck in their head, still having stage fright when it comes to singing, and the unexpected response they received for their musical episode of Teachers. Paul is then joined by Daniele Gaither, Jean Villepique, and Carl Tart, to improvise a story set in a Panic Room. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano!
If you’d like to provide a location for the improv on a future episode, follow @Spontaneanation on Twitter so you won/t miss the prompt!
This episode is brought to you by Dollar Shave Club (www.dollarshaveclub.com/pft) and BullGoose Shaving (www.bullgooseshaving.com code: PFT).
May 8, 2017
Indiewire’s Senior Film Critic David Ehrlich joins Amy this week to discuss the 1998 Best Picture winner, “Shakespeare in Love.” David points to the film’s ability to straddle the line between fantasy and reality, the nuanced appearances by Colin Firth and Ben Affleck, and the expressed theme of “performative love.” Then, Amy and David figure out what Shakespeare and BuzzFeed have in common. Is “Shakespeare in Love” to be, or not to be in The Canon? Head to the Earwolf forums to vote now!
May 8, 2017
Stand-up comedians Ron Funches and Nick Thune join the show this week to face their greatest fears and to find the most fun things to eat and say. Acclaimed indie musician Papa Johns Misty begins his year-long residency with his favorite catchphrases before playing some tasty tunes, and socialite Vernita Wyatt shares tales of all the celebrities she’s slept with. Later, we find out what the Cadillac of pizzas is during a game of Would You Rather.
This episode is sponsored by Spotify, Stamps.com (www.stamps.com code: BANGBANG), LegalZoom (www.legalzoom.com code: BANGBANG), and Black Tux (www.blacktux.com code: BANGBANG).