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News Podcast

Ep. #284: Vic Berger

Vic Berger is a talented video editor and satirist based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Currently employed by the online video and production company Super Deluxe, Berger has made a name for himself with his surreal video creations, in which he re-edits existing news and pop culture footage to highlight their most odd and socially awkward moments. While he’s been at it a while now, both independently and in collaboration with the ingeniously uncompromising comedian Tim Heidecker, Berger’s profile has risen considerably since he began producing clips that tweak the 2016 U.S. presidential election, its various debates, and, in particular, the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Here, Vic and I discuss growing up and living in Bethlehem, little cities and big success, working from home for Hollywood, perogies all day, his degree in music and songwriting, the Beatles and Beach Boys, DIY independence but also well-adjusted socializing, playing in a band in high school before going solo, getting into music again someday, current faves like Of Montreal, Foxygen, the Lemon Twigs, raising kids and finding time for music in one’s life, going to Philly, no more movies, background music, growing sick of this negative U.S. election campaign, Donald Trump and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, catering to the alt right movement and its key figures, The Daily Show remote segments with Trump supporters, disappointment with people more than the candidate, Hillary Clinton hatred, dealing with Trump’s inconsistencies, immovable bases, obfuscation and deliberate voter suppression, political engagement, political engagement prior to 2016, what he’s learned about the media, a lack of substantive news reporting, CNN, Giuliani the goldmine, music therapy and election stress, therapeutic Vines and YouTube videos, comedic communication and coping, making music videos and fooling Tim Heidecker and On Cinema at the Cinema into thinking he had real expertise, comedic influences like Tim & Eric, the BBC version of The Office, awkward and uncomfortable comedy, six political degrees of Larry David, vicariousness, nihilism and civilization, Curb Your Enthusiasm, giving Trump too much credit, insult comedy, the horrifying ‘Hillary should be in jail’ comment during the second presidential debate, gaudy style over meaningful substance, the stylistic trademarks of his videos, saturating Trump, digital zooming, Jeb Bush tries to seem cool, diminishing powerful people’s power, the Jimmy Fallon/Trump’s hair clip, maybe Jimmy wasn’t onboard, comedy shows held to the same standards as news shows, humanizing Trump, the air horn, Melania says “Hello?”, how he made the video sending up the recent Town Hall debate between Clinton and Trump, what works and doesn’t work, telling stories in his videos, what to expect from the third and final presidential debate, nastiness, how he thinks the election will end up going, Trump’s horribly dangerous and intimidating Election Day instructions for his supporters, divisiveness and healing, upcoming projects and people to cover, “Jeb is a Mess,” the Bush family, and that was paaaaaaaaaaaaaaamp!

Related links: victorberger.com superdeluxe.com vishkhanna.com

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Categories
News Podcast

Ep. #242: Josh Gondelman

Josh Gondelman is a Peabody winning and Emmy nominated comedy writer, author, and stand-up comedian who currently lives in New York City, where he works as a writer on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Raised in Boston, Gondelman has also written for Billy on the Street and is the co-author of the Shorty Award-winning Modern Seinfeld Twitter account. Oh, and his own Twitter feed, @joshgondelman, was named the best account of 2015 by Paste Magazine. In summary, Josh Gondelman is very good at everything. This spring he’ll be appearing on Conan and Night Train with Wyatt Cenac to spread the word about Physical Whisper, his breathtakingly hilarious sophomore comedy album, which is out via Rooftop Comedy on March 18. Here, Josh and I discuss how well things are going, hanging out with his dog on off-days, how America is doing right now, how great Canada is doing right now, a golden or easy age of comedy, comedian versus citizen, the position Last Week Tonight with John Oliver took against the election news cycle and Donald Drumpf, the now crowded field of delivering fake news on television, everything is news, the making of and story behind Physical Whisper, when material is material, comedy peer support, how a second album by New York Josh Gondelman might relate to a first album by Boston Josh Gondelman, his style as a comedian and relationship with stand-up, Gary Gulman, becoming a more confident performer, his comedy nerd level, the Modern Seinfeld Twitter account that Josh co-writes, the way Seinfeld would name things, create a lexicon of its own with distinctive characters, and influence comedians, breaking down a Jerry Seinfeld joke, breaking down his own joke “The Entire Spectrum of Human Potential,” German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, when it hit him that this real life thing might be fodder for a bit, delayed realizations, downtime, balancing life and work, future plans, the album cut “Surprise!” and that was the end of a very nice conversation.

Related links: twitter.com/joshgondelman vishkhanna.com

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Categories
News Podcast

Ep. #213: Cameron Esposito

Cameron Esposito is a gifted and hilarious comedian and actress who originally hails from Chicago, Illinois. She’s a beloved figure who reveals much about her personal life in her stand-up, often discussing the fact that she’s a lesbian and covering various aspects and concerns pertaining to the LGBTQ community. In fact, her 2014 stand-up record Same Sex Symbol delved deeply into such topics and was acclaimed as one of the best and smartest comedy albums of the year. Now based in Los Angeles, Esposito is an in-demand performer who has appeared on TV shows like @midnight, Conan, Maron, Drunk History, and she will soon be voicing a character on the Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears. This December Esposito is marrying Rhea Butcher and taping her first special, a mere two days apart. She’s touring North America in the next while, including shows at the Comedy Bar in Toronto between September 10th and 12th and Comedy Mix in Vancouver between October 1st and 3rd. Here, Cameron and I discuss being prepared and winging it, the new multi-faceted face of comedy, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, career longevity, stand-up is the end and not a means to an end, Jay Leno’s stand-up, villainy and heroism, the Late Night wars, David Letterman’s likability, Costco, taping a special and getting married only days apart, a wedding planner, collective memory banks, how ‘merica’s doing, regionalism, Sick Kids Hospital, bullying, Donald Trump and immigration and the LGBTQ, Mexicans, alienating America’s fastest growing voting demographic, distracting the world from racism against black people by being racist towards Mexicans, figuring Trump out, women’s roles in this upcoming election, why we think Jon Stewart left The Daily Show, social media, topical humour, talking about yourself without feeling pigeonholed, inspiring others, Hari Kondabolu, the book of autobiographical essays she’s working on, the “Fighter Pilot” bit, and that was that.     

Related links: cameronesposito.com vishkhanna.com

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