Support Your Local Podcasters!

Support Your Local Podcasters!

With some states continuing their COVID-19 containment protocols into this month (as Illinois is), people are having more and more free time. Puzzles are getting completed at an alarming rate. Books which were meant to be read are being picked up… to return to the shelf because it’s in the way of the television remote. Series are being streamed.

And yes, it appears to be the perfect time to check out some new podcasts, baby!

Here are some of my favorite podcasts that you might want to check out. To make it even more appealing, these are podcasts created by some of my favorite comedians and content creators in the Chicago (and suburban) comedy scene. Let’s get podcasting!


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How I Got Thrown Out Of The Illinoisans Against Excessive Quarantine Facebook Group: A Continuing Saga, I Guess?

How I Got Thrown Out Of The Illinoisans Against Excessive Quarantine Facebook Group: A Continuing Saga, I Guess?

You guys, I swear… I was trying to be nice.

I went into this weekend with a heart full of love and acceptance and a mind prepared to discuss differing opinions and determined to see the other side of the situation. I was going to be a different person; a unifier, a leader in difficult times.

That lasted most of a morning.

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How I Got Thrown Out Of The Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine Facebook Group: A Short Story

How I Got Thrown Out Of The Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine Facebook Group: A Short Story

If you read my last post, you know I’ve taken issue with some of the protests which have popped up around various state capitals. Fun story: In writing that last sentence, I almost wrote, “protests which pooped up”, which was horrible spelling but also funny and accidentally accurate.

Continue reading “How I Got Thrown Out Of The Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine Facebook Group: A Short Story”

Essential.

Essential.

This past week, morons and douchebags all over our great nation went to “peacefully” “protest” the state capitals of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, and Florida. I put the word “peacefully” in quotes because while there were no reports of arrests or violence, some of these people made a point of open carrying weapons and there were reports of confederate flags and signs with swastikas, which are, as we all know, the two symbols of peace. I put the words “protest” in quotes because some, if not most (hell, if not ALL) of these whiny turd-babies are just mad because they’re being asked to stay inside and practice social distancing and it makes them mad.

The claim of many of these slack-jawed yokels is that it’s time for the nation to get back to work and get outside. Well, as someone who has been working this whole time, let me tell you: it’s a fucking nightmare. You don’t want any of this right now.

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The Definition Of Power

The Definition Of Power

What is power? What does it entail?

Is it money? Anyone can have money. Lottery winners aren’t powerful; they’re lucky.

Is it influence? Hardly. No one really knows what that is or how to get it.

To me, power is like pornography: you know it when you see it.

And no one had more power at any given time that Jay-Z did in 2006.

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How To Never Get Booked For A Comedy Show, part 3…

How To Never Get Booked For A Comedy Show, part 3…

I’ve had a lot of fun writing the first two stories in this series. They’ve been fun for a lot of reasons: it’s been great to reminisce about the old days with some of my friends who have read this, I hope I’m presenting some good lessons on what not to do to newer comedians, and it’s been a super-joy to dunk on some assclowns who kinda (absolutely) deserve it.

To start this newest edition, however, I think I’m going to start with the best piece of advice I can give anyone in comedy when dealing with a booker. Not only is it good comedy advice, but it’s good life advice.

Be honest and self-aware.

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I Wanna Sink To The Bottom With You: Remembering Adam Schlesinger

I Wanna Sink To The Bottom With You: Remembering Adam Schlesinger

I wanted to be the one who wrote thoughts about Adam Schlesinger, who was part of the beautiful group Fountains Of Wayne as well as a man who dipped his toes into songs for television, movies, and the stage. Schlesinger died on Wednesday due to complications from coronavirus at the age of 52.

So, why can’t I fucking think of anything to say?

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How To Never Get Booked For A Comedy Show, Part 2…

How To Never Get Booked For A Comedy Show, Part 2…

(Author’s note: Many of you seemed to really love reading my last story about booking comedy shows. The amount of people who wrote to me telling me what a great story it was- and also wanting to know the name of the comedian who I was talking about- was wonderful and amazing and I appreciate all of it. So, here’s another story for you.

As a note, I do want to say that this story had been previously published on another site. In fact, I wrote it on the, literal, last day the site was still taking submissions. When this story originally came out, there was a really fun conversation that Brandon and I had about comedy and writing and this blog made me realize just how much I loved not only writing, but working with Brandon. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that writing this was a strong catalyst for me wanting to continue working with people I respected and who I felt respected me, which is directly what led to Fancy Boys Club.

The previous site has removed this piece per my request, so I re-present it to you now.)

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Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: The Hunt

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: The Hunt

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with Blumhouse Productions’ latest film.

This might be giving the review away, but I’m just gonna lead off with this: for all of the people who furious about Craig Zobel’s The Hunt, specifically those upset with it’s premise of violence against conservatives, y’all done fucked up. Instead of trying to get the film banned (it had been shelved of it’s August 2019 date), you should have just let it come out into theaters, where it would have not done well, and then you could have claimed victory of the liberal elites trying to push their wishful thinking down your throats… or whatever.

And The Hunt would have failed. But not for it’s politics. It’s just not all that great.

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