Comedy CastsShock Jocks, Skits, Standup...

When it comes to shock jocks, Bibb and Yaz were the first ones to take full advantage of the freedoms of podcasting. Although the things Yaz says may make Bibb wince, they would definitely cause the program director at any radio station to go into cardiac arrest for fear of the FCC fines that would follow. But at the end of their show, Bibb and Yaz are not making calls to their lawyersthey don't even have lawyers, they just post the show and get ready for the next one.

There has never been a platform for shock jocks more inviting than that of podcasting. Forget Sirius or XM, because anyone there still needs to answer to the board of directors. Although Howard Stern might think he is getting unlimited freedom to do whatever he wants, we all know there are some strings attached to that $500-million check. Now some would say the world does not need shows like Bibb and Yaz or Distorted View Daily, where even George Carlin would be shocked, but to dismiss them entirely is to miss the point.

The endgame is that there are just as many good podcasts that are extremely funny and are G- or PG-rated as there are those that are R- or X-rated. Which you prefer to listen to or model your podcast after is purely a matter of personal taste. In this section, we give a good mix of all (see Table 3.2). What is nice to know is that if you have the desire to do a comedy show, no matter what rating your tongue is, you have a place to express yourself with podcasting.

Table 3.2. Popular Comedy Podcasts

Host(s)	Podcast	Website URL
Tim Henson	Distorted View Daily	www.distortedview.com
Bibb and Yaz	The Bibb and Yaz Podcast	www.bibbsrevenge.com
Jesse Thorn	The Sound of Young America	www.splangy.com
Scott Fletcher	Podcheck Review	www.podcheck.com
Clinton Alvord	Comedy4Cast	www.comedy4cast.com

Distorted View Daily

Tim Henson started this show back in 1997 as a streaming audio show. It has evolved over that time into what it is today: one of the funniest and twisted shows on the Net. If you listen to this show, at some point you are going to say, "Oh, that is just wrong." The show is released each weekday, and the typical length of an episode is 15 minutes. The show is X-rated.

"Everyday on Distorted View, I scour the Web for the most bizarre and twisted stories in the news. I then present them to you, complete with my own unique (read: crass, vulgar, childish, and inappropriate) commentary. You'll also hear comedy sketches, weird and unusual erotic stories, and prank calls. The show's content is not for the faint-hearted. Its appeal lies in its irreverence and disregard for political correctness."

Tim Henson, Distorted View Daily

The Bibb and Yaz Podcast

Bibb and Yaz host the first shock-jock podcast. This show makes infamous New York shock jocks Opie and Anthony look tame. They release one show a week, with a typical length running from 2 to 3 hours per episode. This show is X-rated.

"Our podcast is the uncensored rantings of two Jersey guys who live a stone's throw away from the urban jungle. While most people might not understand the humor in our points of view or even the terminology we might use, in our minds it all makes complete sense. New listeners may find that we come across as harsh or extreme, but after a few listens people realize we just like to poke fun at the things and ideas that make people feel most uncomfortable. The show also acts as an open forum to attack society's ills and things that most people are afraid to talk about in public, but readily talk about behind closed doors: religion, sexual preference, race, and disabilities."

Gary Bibb, The Bibb and Yaz Podcast

The Sound of Young America

This show is hosted by Jesse "America's Radio Sweetheart" Thorn and Jordan Morris. Jesse is one of the hardest working self-promoters in podcasting. You can learn a lot about self-promotion by looking at what Jesse is doing with his podcast. This show is released once a week and is typically 1 hour in length. The show is PG-rated.

"In some ways the format changes from week to week, but it usually ends up being something like this: We have an introductory segment, a little bit of banter, show preview, then I do a little bit of an intro, maybe 5 minutes of talking. Sometimes I tell a story of something that has happened to me recently. Once in a while we have a contest for the people that listen in on the radio. I then do one segment that is sometimes an interview, sometimes a comedy thing. We work in comedy bits we have written and produced, and then we usually do a half hour interview by phone with someone we think is awesome."

Jesse Thorn, The Sound of Young America

Podcheck Review

Scott Fletcher hosts this podcast from Illinois. If there was an award in podcasting for Best Male Voice, the nominees would be Scott Fletcher, Scott Fletcher, Scott Fletcher, and, oh yeah, Scott Fletcher. You can hear his voice on dozens of promos, bumpers, and sweepers throughout the podcasting world. His show, although listed in the Comedy section, could have just as easily been put in the Technology or News section (sorry Scott, we needed to pigeonhole you somewhere). The show is released a few times a month and is a must-listen for anyone in the podcasting community. The typical length is in the 15-to-20-minute range per episode. This show is PG-rated.

"It is a show where I have a list of news stories and I make fun of them.... I did not set out to model after Jon Stewart, but now that I have been doing it a while, that is kind of where I am heading with it. It is serious news, so anyone that is interested in podcasting can tune in for 15 or 20 minutes and pretty much get the headlines. But also I don't usually hold back on whether or not I think something has merit because I do a lot of praising on the show, but I also do a little bit of reality checkyou know people who spun up the hype machine a little too early."

Scott Fletcher, Podcheck Review

Comedy4Cast

Clinton Alvord hosts this very concise podcast. Even though it is one of the shorter podcasts, what it lacks in length it more than makes up for with humor. This show is released about twice a week and is typically about 4 minutes in length. The show is PG-rated.

"Comedy4Cast is a short-form podcast, averaging under 4 minutes an episode. The shows are what I call 'mostly work-safe' and 'kind of family friendly,' insomuch as there is no swearing and 'adult' situations are kept to a minimum. Rather than concentrating on one set format or cast of characters, I try to cover a wide range of styles. One show might feature a short story or monologue, while the next could be a skit or parody of other well-known podcasts. My work is influenced by radio comedy legends such as Stan Freberg and Bob and Ray."

Clinton Alvord, Comedy4Cast

Why Do a Comedy Cast?

People love to laugh; people need to laugh, and if you are someone who has that gift of comedic timing, you need to have a comedy podcast. Maybe you are someone who dreams of doing an open mic at the local comedy club, but you have not yet worked up the courage or the routine. If so, then starting a short podcast with some selective jokes might be for you. If you have the largest collection of bar jokes or Internet chain mail jokes, you have the content for a good podcast. It is very likely that someone doing a comedy podcast is going to get that big break that will make them the next cast member of SNL or the next big standup starbe it Keith Malley, Tim Henson, Wichita Rutherford, or you.