Idolizing: Marc Maron

This is the fifth post in my Idolizing series. The first four recipients were people/things that inspire me. I dedicated posts to Aziz Ansari, Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman (again) and yes, even the McRib. In hindsight, I kind of think having a sandwich in this group is weird. I should send them a McDonald's coupon for a McRib as a 'thank you' for inspiring me. The coupon would only be good for a few months every other year...depending on the region. I'm getting a bit off-topic, but you have an idea what I'm trying to do in my Idolizing blog series.

Marc Maron is a stand-up comedian and hosts WTF podcast with Marc Maron. He tours the country and self-releases podcasts twice per week. He hosts them in his garage, aka 'Cat Ranch' and has garnered praise for his candid interviews of his contemporaries in the comedy and entertainment world..

I explain how Maron inspires me and a few of my early exposures to stand-up comedy.

Stand-up comedians have always inspired me. One of the first comedy routines I can remember watching was by Richard Pryor. I don't remember which comedy special it was or even any of the jokes. I was way too young to understand what he was talking about. I just liked him because he was in one of my favorite movies as a child, The Toy. I have watched most of his live comedy videos as an adult and I am surprised my parents let me watch it at such a young age...but I am glad they did.

I first saw Marc Maron when he was a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. I must have been 14 years old, but I got his comedy. It was honest, introspective, and rather raw. I would hate to peg him as an 'angry comic', but it made me realize that it was okay to be mad about the little things that annoy me. I would see him on Conan's show a lot (he's been on Conan's various shows a record 47 times). I started to have other comedy influences and became the comedy nerd that I am today.

In the process of finding new stand-up comedians to study, I lost track of Maron. I would still see him on Late Night, but he seemed to be going through a personal struggle. I later found out that he had a drug problem. He has since quit and has been sober for many years.

I listen to a lot of podcasts and I took to my Facebook and Twitter to ask my friends if there are any new ones I should check out. A friend recommended Maron's WTF podcast...that is when I rediscovered him.

I didn't really know what to expect before I listened to my first WTF podcast. I was hooked after I heard him describing his own personal struggles with nicotine addiction and body issues. I have never heard a person be so open and honest about what was bothering him at that very second.

In a few episodes, he explained his life on drugs. He was an angry person and rubbed many fellow comedians the wrong way. He now has them on his podcast and has them describe how big of an asshole he was back then. A lot of his episodes sound like a therapy session, but the issues he deals with are universal.

Maron's podcasts aren't all about himself. The comedians he has on his podcast explain how they broke into the business. Many have sacrificed a lot and point their success to one or two serendipitous moments in their lives. The overall theme is that the comedians who make it big in their business work hard and treat it as an art form.

WTF podcast won 'Best Comedy Podcast" award at the 2012 Comedy Central comedy awards. Maron has recorded nearly 300 episodes and they have even started to air on public radio. My favorite episodes features guests: Louis C.K., Judd Apatow, Carlos Mencia, Dane Cook, Conan O'Brien, Patton Oswalt, and so many more to list. Here are descriptions of a few of his landmark episodes.

• Gallagher walked out during an episode after Maron pointed out that a lot of his new material resembles a rant of a bigot/racist.
• Comedian Todd Glass announced that he was gay on the show. He wanted a public forum and to talk about some of the issues he has had by hiding it.
• Maron tries to mend a broken relationship with Louis C.K. They were once very close. They talked it out and by the time the two-part episode is finished, they were in a much better place.
• Maron spoke to Carlos Mencia about the allegations that he stole jokes from other lesser-known comedians. Mencia denied stealing jokes and said a lot things that didn't sit well with Maron. He felt disgusted after the podcast was over and invited some of Mencia's fellow comedians on to debunk some of Mencia's remarks. Willie Barcena and Steve Trevino come on the next episode and refuted most of what Mencia said on the previous podcast. To be fair to Mencia, Maron had him on at the end of the podcast and brought up what Barcena and Trevino said. Mencia didn't come out looking very positive, but it felt very honest. It is one of the most talked about episodes of WTF podcast.

Maron has many other projects other than the podcast. His stand-up album, This Has To Be Funny, was named the #1 comedy album of 2011 by Laughspin.com. He is currently writing his memoirs for a book to be released in the coming year. He is still travels the U.S. doing stand-up. Check out wtfpod.com for his tour dates and you will also find his podcasts on site. You can buy his phone app and have access to all of his old podcasts or download some his current episodes on iTunes. You can follow Maron on Twitter at @marcmaron or @WTFpod.

All of the reasons above describe how Marc Maron inspires me. He isn't afraid to be himself. He tackles issues that he has avoided for years. His podcasts are funny, informative, and therapeutic. He is doing what he loves, who can say that about their job?

Idolizing - Aziz Ansari

If you're a fan of funny stand-up comedy and/or great television, you are familiar with Aziz Ansari. He's the fourth installment of my "Idolizing" series. The first three posts were about Chuck Klosterman, Chuck Klosterman (again), & the McRib sandwich....I am sure that Mr. Ansari is glad to be in this group.

I don't want this post to read like his Wikipedia page, but here's the lowdown on him. He plays Tom Haverford on NBC's Parks & Recreation and he has appeared on the big screen in Funny People and 30 Minutes or Less. He is a working stand-up comedian and has a successful comedy album under his belt (Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening). He even made a cameo in Jay-Z & Kanye West's music video for Otis. Here is why idolize Aziz Ansari and what he has coming out in the near future.

I'm a big fan of Parks & Rec and I'm exactly sure why I haven't written a hundred posts about Ron Swanson. Ansari steals the show with his facial expressions, faux-pimp swag, and for his anti-stereotypical portrayal of an Indian-American. My favorite episode is when Tom Haverford describes his nicknames for everyday food (which sparked up its own parody website). Guys in their late-20s and early 30s can relate to Mr. Haverford. He has a quasi-important 9 to 5 job, doesn't have much game with women, and he yearns for a life of luxury.

I love stand-up comedy. I have loved it since I first watched a Richard Pryor comedy special when i was a little kid. I didn't know what 90% of the jokes were about, but after hearing everyone laugh, I knew he was something special. Ansari is currently on a "Dave Chappelle-like" level, meaning that his timing is down so perfectly that his jokes come out flawless. In one of my favorite bits, he talk about harassing his chubby, young cousin Harris. 



You can currently buy his latest stand-up special, Dangerously Delicious, on AzizAnsari.com for $5. He touches on some of the same subjects that he talked about on his last special (R. Kelly, Harris, etc), but in a fresh way. I recommend everyone to go buy it online, because it is easily worth the price.

In an interview with Grantland.com, Ansari says that he has signed on to join the cast of The Apocalypse. The movie will be directed by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg and star Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and himself. They will all be playing themselves at a party at James Franco's house. While they are at the party, the Apocalypse begins...definitely something that I want to see.

The reason why I wanted to write about Aziz Ansari is because I enjoy his work a lot. He is a bright guy that "gets it." He can write quirky and absurd skits on Human Giant and then go write comedy with mainstream appeal. He can do both things well and his versatility is the key to his success. I look forward to his future work and will try to catch him live when he tours in my area.

In closing, I want to leave you with a "Tom Haverford Face," and as always, Treat Yo'self!

Idolizing - Chuck Klosterman (Again!)

About a year ago, I wrote a post in my "Idolizing" series about Chuck Klosterman. I was in awe of his first effort of writing a novel called "Downtown Owl." I thought the book was great and I even bought an advanced copy on eBay for nearly 30 dollars a few months before it was released. The book didn't sell a lot of copies, but he still feels like he accomplished something that he wanted to do. He has been on record that he had promised his publisher a few more essay books like "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs" as a trade off that they would release one of his fiction works.

The reason that I am writing about Chuck Klosterman again in my "Idolizing" section is that he is still an idol of mine. I own all of his books, I try to read every column he writes, and when he's on Bill Simmonss podcast, "The B.S. Report," I pay attention to his every word. I know everyone has idols, but my idols usually have a shelf-life of about two years. I pretty much give them every opportunity to disappoint me. Klosterman has yet to do so and I've been a fan of his for almost 5 years. I don't agree with everything he says, but I can usually understand his point of view. For example, when he was on The B.S. Report, he went on a monologue against Twitter. I am a big fan of Twitter (you can follow me here) and Klosterman believes that his fans would get over-saturated with his work if he is constantly whoring himself out or commenting on things that he would write in a column or book. I can understand his point of view, but I think Twitter has more uses than just social networking.

Chuck Klosterman has a new book coming out in a few months called "Eating The Dinosaur." The book is in the line of "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs" and is sure to be a must-read. If I didn't think that an advance copy would appear on eBay soon, I would have already pre-ordered it on Amazon.

To sum everything up, I think Klosterman is a great writer and I hope one day to write as well as him. He is one of the reasons that I write and I hope that his new book will be a great success.