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News Podcast

Ep. #274: Hari Kondabolu

Hari Kondabolu is a very funny and incisive stand-up comedian who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He has written for shows like Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, he’s appeared on the many late night talk shows, and he co-hosts the Politically Re-Active podcast with Bell. In 2014, Kill Rock Stars released his highly acclaimed and hilarious stand-up album, Waiting for 2042 and they have just released his excellent, uncompromising follow-up, Mainstream American Comic, which is a wonderful mix of absurd observational stories and socio-political commentary. He’s just about to kick off an extensive American tour in Detroit on July 29 with more dates up the end of September and here, we discuss the many mistakes I made in the intro, peaking personally as the world is falling apart, the RNC and DNC conventions and what they say about the future of America, the Mickey Mouse candidate is a maniac, rewarding the asshole and how people like a heel, the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase and Virgil and a bunch of questionable WWF comparisons, mocking the mockery and the media, people who mistrust facts and the truth because of how they view the messengers, less coverage and media monsters, Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign and his recent support of Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama’s acknowledgement of Sanders in his speech at the DNC, Bernie’s heroic effort, Obama’s presidency and legacy, when Obama dumbs down his rhetoric, placating people and Jimmy Carter, Hari’s hilarious mom and talking about his parents, being a brown man in pop culture and living in the word today, no Asians on Saturday Night Live, more immigrants need to be represented in culture, things Aziz Ansari obsesses about, how to start addressing and breaking down our differences, white people don’t like games, Uncle Raj, why Hari hasn’t toured Canada yet and is avoiding Toronto, The Problem with Apu film, co-hosting the Politically Re-Active and Bugle podcasts, starting a series, why Apu is offensive and the weirdly benign yet insidious depictions of Indians, Peter Sellers in The Party, the bit “My Mom (Accent Not Included),” and that was another nice chat with Hari.

Related links: harikondabolu.com killrockstars.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #273: Mary Lynn Rajskub

Mary Lynn Rajskub is a talented comedien and actress who originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. Though she’s likely best known for her portrayal of data analyst Chloe O’Brian on the hit Fox drama 24, for comedy fans she’s well-regarded for her work on groundbreaking efforts like Mr. Show, The Larry Sanders Show, and as a character actress in numerous films. She’s currently touring behind a one-woman comedy show called 24 Hours with Mary Lynn Rajskub, which has been staged at Just for Laughs in Montreal, including upcoming performances on the evenings of July 26, 27, and 28 at the Mainline Theatre. Here, Mary Lynn and I discuss just getting off-stage in Montreal at JFL with her new one-woman show, talking about her family and being known for her role on 24, the yoga teacher and the miniature horse, Chloe as Jack Bauer’s comedic foil and when that dynamic turned, Czech mate, royalty city, the state of the States, a therapeutic performance, current news and politics within her show, the Republican National Convention and fear mongering, the difficulty of mocking the mocker making a mockery of everything, real time social media reactions, Drumpf the performer and character, word salads, a Canadian invasion, her work on The Larry Sanders Show, her relationship with Garry Shandling, his generosity and emotional awareness, Janeane Garofalo and David Cross and how their friendship led to her auditioning for Shandling, Peter Tolan and Judd Apatow and Peter Smokler, inside Hollywood, love and hate, taking her show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and then the day was done.

Related links: marylynnstandup.com hahaha.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #272: Gord Downie [Archival; May 2010]

Gord Downie is a genuine hero of mine who has redefined rock ‘n’ roll music in Canada. Over the past 30 years, he’s led Kingston, Ontario’s the Tragically Hip, who write and perform songs that are uncommonly challenging and great, improbably becoming one of Canada’s most popular and influential bands as a result. The band kicks off their Man Machine Poem tour on July 22 in Victoria, which may well be the last time they cross the country together. Away from the Hip, Downie has written poetry, acted in films, collaborated with people like the Sadies, and formed another band called the Country of Miracles whose notable membership includes Julie Doiron, Dave Clark, Dale Morningstar, Josh Finlayson, and John Press. During an interview conducted on May 20, 2010, Gord and I discuss The Grand Bounce liner notes, foxiness and beans, pie makers and connectivity, revelations, desertion, Evan S. Connell and Son of the Morning Star and “the grand bounce,” things and people we desert and fight or flight, the sound of the Country of Miracles, relationships with music, his dedicated bandmates, his role as a player and musician, the shift in production from Coke Machine Glow to Battle of the Nudes to The Grand Bounce, using words up, “The Drowning Machine” collaboration with Buck 65, the water and God, Rich can’t swim, getting the Country of Miracles back together from time to time, a David Bowie ringtone, working with Chris Walla, missing the band, summer lovin’, a collaboration with the Sadies, Hip plans, calling on the songs, the song “The Dance and its Disappearance,” Crystal Pite and Kid Pivot, and then we danced.

Related links: thehip.com vishkhanna.com

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