WTF with Marc Maron
| WTF with Marc Maron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Marc Maron |
| Genre | Comedy, Interview |
| Language | English |
| Length | 60–120 minutes |
| Production | |
| No. of episodes | 701 (List of episodes) |
| Publication | |
| Debut | September 1, 2009 |
| Website | www.wtfpod.com |
WTF with Marc Maron is a twice-weekly podcast hosted by standup comedian Marc Maron. The show launched in September 2009. The program primarily consists of interviews with comedians and comedy writers, as well as others in the entertainment and radio communities. The show is produced by Maron's former Air America co-worker Brendan McDonald.
In early 2011, the show began receiving positive press, including articles in The New York Times.[1]
Background
The show's title stems from the Internet slang abbreviation WTF (for "What the fuck?"). WTF launched in September 2009 following the cancellation of Maron's Air America terrestrial radio program Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder. Maron retained his Air America building keycard and, without permission, used their studios to record the first several episodes of WTF.
After the first episodes, Maron moved from New York to California. Most episodes of the show are generally recorded in Maron's home garage, nicknamed "the Cat Ranch", located in Los Angeles. He ends most podcasts with the phrase "Boomer lives" in honor of a cat he brought from New York who went missing. The phrase became a hashtag and his production company name.[2]
Occasionally shows are recorded in Maron's various hotel rooms (while on the road performing standup), the offices of his guests, or other locations. Every show opens with an audio sample of Maron's only line (in the original theatrical edit) from the film Almost Famous: "Lock the Gates!".[3]
Several personalities have declined invitations to appear on the show, including Daniel Tosh,[4] Tom Waits,[5] Jon Stewart,[6] Albert Brooks,[6] Shecky Greene, and Bill Cosby.[7]
Reception
WTF has received generally positive reviews, including positive writeups in The New York Times[1] and Entertainment Weekly.[8] On average, it receives over 220,000 downloads per episode—with the show purportedly reaching its 100,000,000th download by 9 December 2013.[9] In 2014, Rolling Stone listed WTF #1 on their list of The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now.[10]
Notable podcasts
- Louis C.K. gave a two episode interview, in which Maron and C.K. revealed that the two of them had a falling out, and discussed and rekindled their old friendship. During the podcast, C.K. became audibly emotional when talking about the birth of his first daughter. Slate Magazine called the interview the greatest podcast episode of all time in a 2014 list.[11][12][13]
- Carlos Mencia came on and discussed allegations of his plagiarizing other comics. After the interview, Maron said that "something didn't feel right". He did further research, and interviewed comics Willie Barcena and Steve Trevino, who offered accounts of Mencia stealing material. Maron then contacted Mencia, who immediately returned for a follow-up interview. Mencia admitted that during the initial interview, he "had an agenda", and then went on to discuss the allegations and his reputation in a much less guarded, more forthright manner.[14][15]
- Maron confronted Dane Cook about accusations of plagiarizing Louis C.K. and about his tension with Steve Byrne.[16][17]
- Maron brought up online accusations against Gallagher about his performing of homophobic material. An argument ensued, in which Gallagher became the first and only guest on the podcast to walk out mid-interview.[18]
- Todd Glass used his appearance on the podcast to come out of the closet as gay.[19][20]
- Todd Hanson gave a detailed account of his suicide attempt in a hotel room in Brooklyn, and spoke about his lifelong struggle with depression.[21]
- Kevin Smith complained about Bruce Willis's lack of involvement in promoting the film Cop Out, which triggered a public feud between the two of them.[22]
- On an episode released in April 2010, Robin Williams discussed contemplating suicide.[23] Maron later reposted the episode following the news of Williams' death, complete with new host segments talking about how much the episode shaped the show and his own personal life.[24]
- President of the United States Barack Obama recorded an interview in June 2015 (recorded Friday 19 June 2015, in the garage). The interview received much media attention due to the President's use of the word "nigger" while discussing racism in America.[25][26]
Episode list
References
- 1 2 Saltzstein, Dan (January 6, 2011). "The Comic Who Explores Comedy’s Darkest Side". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ↑ http://flavorwire.com/397349/flavorwire-interview-marc-maron-on-life-at-the-cat-ranch
- ↑ Movieclips (2011-10-11). "Almost Famous (5/9) Movie CLIP - Do You Wanna Buy a Gate? (2000)". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/marcmaron/status/88443415288754176
- ↑ http://i.imgur.com/YIzUg.jpg
- 1 2 Luippold, Ross (2013-04-30). "Marc Maron On Jon Stewart: 'There's Some Tension There' (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/marcmaron/status/403708507347640320
- ↑ Rottenburg, Josh (January 17, 2015). "Marc Maron: The comedian's comedian". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ↑ Weekly email update
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/listen-up-the-20-best-comedy-podcasts-right-now-20140508/1-wtf-with-marc-maron-0307073
- ↑ http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/ten_years_in_your_ears/2014/12/best_podcast_episodes_ever_the_25_best_from_serial_to_the_ricky_gervais.html
- ↑ http://castroller.com/podcasts/WtfWithMarc/1866457-Episode%20111%20-%20Louis%20CK%20part%201
- ↑ http://www.laughspin.com/2012/05/18/marc-maron-shooting-scenes-for-louie/
- ↑ http://castroller.com/podcasts/WtfWithMarc/1652955-Episode%2075%20-%20Carlos%20Mencia
- ↑ Stranahan, Lee (2010-05-31). "Marc Maron Enters Mind of Carlos Mencia, Then Has Trouble Leaving". The Huffington Post.
- ↑ http://castroller.com/podcasts/WtfWithMarc/1707436-Episode%2085%20-%20Dane%20Cook%20/%20The%20Nicotine%20Diaries
- ↑ http://www.laughspin.com/2010/07/01/dane-cook-chats-with-marc-maron-a-study-on-first-impressions-and-the-real-self/
- ↑ http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-145-gallagher
- ↑ Luippold, Ross (2012-01-16). "Beloved Comedian Comes Out As Gay On 'WTF'". The Huffington Post.
- ↑ http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_245_-_todd_glass
- ↑ http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-190-todd-hanson
- ↑ http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-141-kevin-smith
- ↑ WTF with Marc Maron - Robin Williams Interview
- ↑ http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/remembering_robin_williams
- ↑ An Interview With Marc Maron About What It Was Like to Grill Obama (and How It Happened in the First Place), Laura Bennett, Slate, 19 June 2015, accessed 21 June 2015
- ↑ 4 Takeaways from Barack Obama's WTF Podcast with Marc Maron, Vague Direction, 23 June 2015
External links
- WTF with Marc Maron - official website