AV Club's Nathan Rabin talks about Podcast Culture on Marc Maron's 300th episode of WTF

Comedians Marc Maron & Pete Holmes 

I've spoken before about my appreciation for comedians Marc Maron and Pete Holmes as well as my love of Podcasts. I've referenced and excerpted their stories to supplement my travel stories and my own personal journeys.

Inspired by these artists, I'll be starting my own podcast. It will explore similar existential themes found on this blog, talking about the journeys we take and the connections we make. Its a work in progress at this stage so stay tuned.

Marc Maron recently aired the 300th episode of his celebrated 'WTF podcast'. To mark the occasion he spoke to several people to find out what impact his show has had for its audience, his peers and the wider culture.

Maron phones AV Club's Head Writer Nathan Rabin to discuss the show's impact culturally:

Marc Maron's WTF - Episode 300
MARC MARON: (18m 40s) I felt that my voice was valid and that whatever I'd done in my life to get me onto a mic was what I'd bring to it. And its very odd because I don't think how I talk or how I engage is necessarily unusual but as I do it more I realise that there is some sort of craving for organic or frank conversation. That's always been how I've talked to people and that might speak to why I don't have a lot of close friends. Its draining in a way.

NATHAN RABIN: I think part of it is you listen to a talk show, especially a television talk show. People sort of engaging in socially mandated charades, the host is pretending to be interested and the guest can get 8 minutes of television, the guests can promote their product.

You never get that sense with WTF. You never get the sense that you're interested in somebody as an entertainer or as somebody with something to move. You get the sense that you're interested in humanity and you're interested in the shared humanity. You're interested in where you overlap. You're interested in where you clash. You're interested in how you can see the world from antithetical places yet share this thing that everybody shares which is being human

Maron speaks to another of my current rolemodels, Pete Holmes. The two of them are inward-looking but genuinely curious people, Pete unashamedly admits his 'You Made it Weird' podcast is a direct ripoff of WTF. Holmes is one of the leading lights in the new generation of Alt comics, he discusses what WTF has meant for Maron's comedy and podcast successors.

MARC MARON: (1h 15m 08s) You and I need to talk to people to get a sense of who we are. We crave that moment... I always relied on other people to feed - looking for these answers that are gonna make my life easier or better... I'm a pretty selfish and self involved guy and through the course of the podcast from the feedback I get and the struggles I go through and how people relate to it... I'm amazed that whatever I've been accused of which is selfishness - that my struggle with being me in the world is helping people

PETE HOLMES: It's a type of alchemy... we both turned selfishness, a little inwardness, a little navel gazing into something that's actually helping people...

I can definitely relate to their sentiment about relating to the world through conversing with others. I'm the same way.

Find previous Marc Maron podcast references here:
- Adam Carolla - On being sedentary
- Doug Stanhope - On happiness
- Norm MacDonald - On being in the moment

Find previous Pete Holmes podcast references below:
- Pete Holmes collection: Adjacent experiences
- Matt Besser: Travel coincidences and Counting the serendipities
- Duncan Trussell: Traveling, living the dream and remembering it
- Kyle Kinane: Being excited everyday
- The Sklar Brothers: Performing, possibly failing - That's living the dream
- A question answered with a quote: Comedy Podcasts