I don't have a picture or a screenshot for this post and know how links on social media go for the first applicable image, including video thumbnails, I decided to give another video of the week to John Rogers with a thumbnail that is thematically relevant. I'll probably get around to watching it tomorrow...
I'm not fond of using social media to complain about petty issues about the day nor do I like being too harsh in reviewing a piece of media, professionally or otherwise. Of course, we're all human and I found myself composing a thread on Mastodon a couple of weeks ago that bashed the podcast, Threedom, which I recommended in a previous blog post. I deleted the thread shortly after since, again, I felt like I was being too critical in a way that was highly unfair and projected my own cynicism onto people who might not have contempt for their audience.
Also, I did genuinely enjoy the first episode I listened to—and for someone who is not the biggest fan of stand-up comedy, this says something!
I think a part my reaction from the Mastodon thread in question was my own self-consciousness at barely knowing any stand-up comedians outside of CheapShow guests, Jon Oliver*, British panel shows like Mock the Week and Would I Lie to You, and of course the controversial players** in American stand-up who frequently punch down and usually promote misinformation.
So to hear what I thought was contempt for their audience in "3 Chuckies" with (I believe) Scott's remark about how their "[...]audience should be grateful that we do this podcast standing up," and what I took to be them being privileged enough to alienate a potential audience with Lauren's remark about how if she had to introduce herself one more time on the pod then "F— you" (yes, I'm still paraphrasing) in the Threevisiting episode, "Do You Even Know Gyms", made me believe that American stand-up mostly consists of either complete jerks or those political grifters who trended on Twitter for being "against the status quo" in all the wrong ways.
I truly believe that is not the case and if you know any American stand-ups that I should watch or listen to, feel free to suggest them in the comments!
Those remarks, though, also brought me to the MsMadLemon video that I mentioned in the Mastodon thread where, among other things, she noted about some content creators react to gifts sent in by fans. And I linked the wrong one in the thread, so here's the actual video in question...
The bit I'm referring to starts at the 6 minute mark and, while the discussion is mostly unrelated, I would still give it your consideration—alongside the follow up video. Maybe it's because of how I've been mostly drawn to indie creators—whether it's podcasts like CheapShow, or musicians like Pocket Vinyl and Banjo Guy Ollie—that I took it personally more than I should have. That remark and the Threevisiting "F— you" still rile me up when considering how every independent artist and content creator goes to great lengths to promote their work to others and appreciates their audience—even more so when considering how the community behind said work gives that admiration back twofold.
Maybe I picked the wrong episodes to listen to when trying to get back into the podcast, but I get the feeling that the Threedom and Comedy Bang Bang style of humor is not for me. I actually considered buying the Comedy Bang Bang book that recently came out figure said style out, but my gut told me no, more or less. Other opinions are available and it goes without saying that CBB probably has some sort of community out there.
I'll leave that ramble there and move on to more positive things...
Additional Pods in the Queue?
- Shrink the Box, in which Ben Bailey Smith and Sasha Bates do some psychoanalytic literary theory magic on television's protagonists
- The Channel84 Variety Show in which Tom and Rob geek out about whether it's sci-fi, nostalgia, television and film, or even the goings on in their own lives
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