WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Over the last year I have heard the WTF podcast mentioned a few times but I always wrote it off as a comedy podcast. In general, I don’t appreciate stand up type comedy, I prefer situational humor. It’s hard for me to laugh when I feel like it’s required of me. Of course there are exceptions to this but in general I tend to be reluctant to give something a chance if I hear it called comedy. A few weeks ago Entertainment Weekly had an article about the host of WTF, Marc Maron. The article caught my interest with a reference to Maron’s personal frustration that Jon Stewart made it and he never did. It also talked about how WTF is more of an examination of what makes a comedian successful and their history rather than an opportunity to be funny.

I was intrigued so I went on iTunes and downloaded a few episodes that featured comedians I was familiar with like Amy Poehler and Ed Helms. I was immediately enthralled by the first episode I heard and listened to two more that evening. The podcast is funny, touching, raw and offers a window into the world of comedy. The live shows are generally funnier and feature a variety of guests. The interviews are an hour or more of intimate conversation between Marc and his guest. He always takes time to ground the listener in the history of the guest, especially if the guest has a history with him (usually including an apology for a time that Marc was rude or disrespectful to the guest).

WTF and Marc Maron are everywhere right now, including interviews with The Onion AV Club, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Check out WTF for a history of comedy over the last 30 years, an examination of what it means to be successful, information about the people that make you laugh that you will not hear anywhere else and the musings of a man on a journey to figure himself out. New episodes are released twice a week with the most recent 50 episodes available free on iTunes or if you find yourself quickly becoming obsessed you can pay for an app to hear all the episodes.