#Adam Felber

[daily-wecht]

[ear-worthy]

Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone: It's So Out There; It's In!

Do longer-running podcasts change from season to season? On TV, we witness shows that tackle new storylines, add or subtract characters, and even alter the "feel" of the show. The Walking Dead, Supernatural, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory made substantial changes over the course of their long TV lives. 

How about a podcast that's been on for over five years like Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone? In case you're not familiar with the show, here is the show's synopsis: "Join Paula Poundstone, co-host Adam Felber and a long list of characters, real and imaginary, on Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone (the comedy podcast), a podcast taking the fun of a late-night show, the wit of a public radio show, and the knowledge of a guest experts while setting the volume to the max. Acerbic yet infectiously funny, Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone (the comedy podcast) invites listeners into the audience of this absolutely ludicrous variety show, if they can follow along…or not."

This comedy podcast mirrors the quirky stream of consciousness mindset of its eponymous host, Paula Poundstone. Known for her smart, observational humor and spontaneous wit, Poundstone is well known for her appearances years ago on A Prairie Home Companion, her current guest spots on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and her stand-up act, which gears up for more than 85 shows a year. Poundstone’s enduring strength as a comedian does not really depend on a tightly scripted routine, but on her magical ability to improvise and begin talking to an audience to uncover comedic nuggets from the mouths of admiring fans. 

I've seen her live several times, and she often comes on stage and begins to talk to the audience. From those interactions, her improvisational comedy flows. Unlike a tightly scripted routine like Sebastian Maniscalco or Kevin James, Poundstone lives on the comedic edge. Her podcast reflects that spontaneous tone. 

 When you listen to Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone, however, you are assaulted with a hail storm of sharp-witted jokes, zany characters, idiosyncratic contests, lunatic projects, cranky animals, imaginary celebrity guests and a carousel of talented musicians. 

That part of the podcast has remained stable over the life of the show, yet the craziness changes constantly. The show has the weirdest book club imaginable -- now reading the Valley Of The Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. There are odd gardening tips, the ongoing search for a survivalist gone missing, and new musicians every episode that become the "house band." Co-host Adam Felber has been there since the beginning, clearly behind the wheel in the podcast episodes, trying – sometimes in vain – to keep the show on the pavement while Poundstone continues to try to veer off into comedy potholes. His ability to play off Poundstone for comedic effect is a virtuoso effort, and his apparent exasperation at Poundstone’s detours makes for comedic sparks. Poundstone’s manager, Bonnie Burns, is affectionately and derisively known as “Captain Crinkle” on the show, and her frenetic, haphazard and logic-destroying manner gives Felber and Poundstone comedy ammunition. Even the podcast's producer -- Toni Anita Hull -- gets in on the comedy action with her hilarious tale of a cruise gone horribly wrong with her brother, who left the cruise at the halfway point so she was forced to hang with a niece she doesn't get along with.

A big change has been the location of the podcast studio, and there have been several over the course of the show. In the beginning, the show was recorded at the Ray Horseman Studios on Miranda Street in Los Angeles, an area infamous for its urban decay.

However, the podcast found a new production home, and has also worked with several production studios during the run of the show. The show has expanded its episode length. When it started in 2018, an episode ran about 55 minutes. Episodes today typically run about two hours. That expanded length of an episode is a legitimate trend, especially with comedy / interview shows, with Joe Rogan marathon episodes driving that episode expansion. Poundstone's show benefits from compartmentalization, since you can listen to her weird openings, the book club, the expert guest, and her back and forth with Felber as discrete segments. 

Over nearly 300 episodes, Poundstone and her crew have conjured up characters that will wrinkle your forehead, including Southern grand dame Mrs. Culpepper, whose husband, the colonel, died tragically from eating bad cheese. “Adam, it was the gouda that got him,” Mrs. Culpepper confesses to Felber in their ritual mock interview. 

Recently, in episode 297, the show eschewed a special guest in favor of the crew playing games like Password. The show was laugh-out-loud funny. The people in the Chik-Fil-A drive up line did not appreciate my guffaws. Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone has kept a key holdover from the earlier podcast Live from the Poundstone Institute, and that is the interaction of Poundstone and Felber with a guest expert every episode. These experts provide actual important information and often seem to understand that instilling the audience with new knowledge often takes a backseat to Poundstonian diversions into flights of observational humor.

Episode 78 was one of my favorites. Called “We’re Dying Up Here!” the show welcomed guest mortician and author Caitlin Doughty, who spoke about the rituals surrounding death with her own brand of irreverent humor seamlessly blending with Poundstone’s gallows humor.

The guest interview is where Felber shines. First, he has that dilettante quality where he seems to know enough about a lot of topics and second – and more important -- he keeps Poundstone from veering off the interview path where she can riff for five or more minutes while the guest is mute and momentum is lost.

Outstanding guest experts include Hulu’s The Orville writer and former Star Trek science consultant Andre Bormanis who “dropped science on them” and ecologist Dan Cooper who explained to Poundstone how to communicate with the birds in her front and backyards.

What's also changed -- and is an object lesson for indie podcasters -- is the energy that Poundstone and her crew invest in monetization via growing a loyal fan base. Loyal fans -- and Patreon backers -- are called "Nobodys." The Nobodys are referenced regularly, often feted, and quite often become part of the show. Poundstone puts a lot of effort into her merch for the show, and she's not afraid to aggressively sell her show to listeners. 

Like all comedy podcasts, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone attracts listeners who like her as a comedian. That's the essence -- and the success quotient -- for comedy podcasts. "I think this person is funny, and now I can hear them regularly instead waiting for a live show or a Netflix special."

Of course, as Poundstone, who was once thought of as "edgy," has grown older, so too has her audience. The key here is to attract new listeners, since numerous podcast surveys reveal that podcast listening rates for people over 55 years old are low, and not appreciably climbing.

 Listening to Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone is akin to walking around a crammed antique store with narrow aisles and items stacked floor to ceiling. That’s where you’re likely to find treasures galore like Mrs. Culpepper, the store that sells dented appliances down the street, the missing survivalist, the kaleidoscope of musicians and the strange alchemy that makes Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone a worthwhile listen.

[ingridkepkova]

PALACE OF ART, 2018: Druhá výročná výstava VUNU

VV VUNU #2 / Druhá výročná výstava VUNU / 26. september (streda) / Baťov dom / Hlavná 29 / Košice

Vystavujúci: Alex Selmeci / Spolka / Martin Lukáč / Samuel Velebný / Ingrid Kepková / Martin Kiman / Adam Macko / Oskar Felber / Sára Biharyova / Tobiáš Paral / Tibor Czitó / Michal Mitro / Tomáš Kocka / Dalibor Jancura / Viktória Lengyelová / Ines Karčáková / Viktor Šefčík / Pavol Červeniak / Maroš Kontroš / Lucia Méderová

Kurátor: Nikolas Bernáth

[hawkshow]

THE HAWK - Comedy Show LIVE in Weehawken

Friday, December 29, 2023 at 7:45 PM EST

Weehawken Elks Lodge

2 50th Street 

Downstairs grill room

Weehawken, NJ 07086

$18 (includes donation) 

Adam Wade is a record-holding 20-time winner of The Moth's StorySlam with a bestselling audio-biography on Audible.

Irene Bremis is a stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and radio personality whose 1st comedy special, produced by SNL's Ratchel Dratch, drops February 2024.

Adam Felber is the host's brother and is a TV and movie writer, performer, author, podcaster, and well-loved radio personality heard on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!

Plus more acts to be announced!

Headlining comedians and storytellers and musicians -- oh my! Overlooking the Manhattan skyline, and a hop and a skip from Post Authority, there's a beautiful Elks lodge in the glamorous town of Weehawken, NJ. The Hawk was a successful live show in Weehawken before the pandemic, and now we're bringing it back to the Elks for the first time, to make our town a hopping spot for live performance. Hosted and produced by Susie Felber, who ran her show, Felber's Frolics, for 7+ years in Manhattan. Google her and you'll find ye olde treasures from her TV and stage career. 

PS Walk, take the bus, Uber or the Elks have free (but limited) parking so... roll on up!

Tickets are limited. Note: Ticket price includes donation.

Venmo $18 to @Susie.Felber 

to secure your spot

[brokehorrorfan]

Charles Band is a prolific indie film icon, having produced such cult classics as Re-Animator, From Beyond, Puppet Master, Ghoulies, Tourist Trap, and Troll, in addition to directing B-movies like Trancers, The Gingerdead Man, Parasite, and Evil Bong.

Somewhere between making several movies a year, he wrote an autobiography. Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking will be published on November 16 via William Morrow.

Co-authored with Adam Felber (Real Time with Bill Maher), the 320-page memoir will be available in hardcover, e-book, audio book, and audio CD. The synopsis is below.

Spanning six decades in the film industry, including running Empire Pictures and Full Moon Features, Band shares stories about Marilyn Monroe, Demi Moore, Helen Hunt, Bill Maher, John Carpenter, Gary Busey, Viggo Mortensen, Stan Winston, Liberace, Dino De Laurentiis, and more.

Renowned producer, director, and “B movie” showman Charles Band takes readers on a wild romp through Hollywood’s decidedly un-Oscar-worthy underbelly, where mayhem and zombies reign supreme, and cheap thrills and entertainment are king.

Zombies, aliens, a little skin, lots of gore—and even more laughs—the cinematic universe of Charles Band is legendary. From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love. In Confessions of a Puppetmaster, this congenial master of Grindhouse cinema tells his own story, uncut.

Born into a family of artists, Band spent much of his childhood in Rome where his father worked in the film industry. Early visits to movie sets sealed young Charlie’s fate. By his twenties he had plunged into moviemaking himself and found his calling in exploitation movies—quick, low-budget efforts that exploit the zeitgeist and feed people’s desire for clever, low-brow entertainment. His films crossed genres, from vampire flicks to sci fi to erotic musical adaptations of fairy tales. As he came into his own as a director, he was the first to give starring roles to household names like Demi Moore, Helen Hunt, and Bill Maher.

Off set, Band’s life has been equally epic. Returning to his beloved Italy, he bought both Dino De Laurentiis’s movie studio and a medieval castle. After Romania’s oppressive communist regime fell, he circumvented the U.S. State Department to shoot films in Dracula’s homeland. He made—and then lost—a moviemaking fortune. A visionary, Band was also at the vanguard of the transition to home video and streaming, making and distributing direct-to-video movies long before the major studios caught on.

In this revealing tell-all, Band details the dizzying heights and catastrophic depths of his four decades in showbiz. A candid and engaging glimpse at Hollywood’s wild side, Confessions of a Puppetmaster is as entertaining as the movies that made this consummate schlockmeister famous.

Pre-order Confessions of a Puppetmaster from Amazon.

[6-and-7]

Inktober Day 24 - Dizzy This may be the only Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone fan art on the internet.

[uschi-the-listener]

Paula Poundstone: People need to stop being offended by everything.  Adam Felber: HOW DARE YOU!  uschi-the-listener: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHH! Perfect response.

Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone Podcast

[jimrmoore]

SURF REALITY ~ Serious Pratfalls ~ June 27th, 1998

SURF REALITY ~ Serious Pratfalls ~ June 27th, 1998

June 27th, 1998 Notes on this show presented at Surf Reality from producer/founder Robert Prichard. Jeff Eyres, Host 1) Rev. Hank AKA Hank Flynn 2) Margaret Trigg, Margaret starred in an ABC sitcom in 1996 called Aliens in The Family which was ABC’s attempt to get on NBC’s 3rd Rock From The Sun train. Margaret used to rent Surf for showcases so that her industry connections could see her…

[vintage1981]

Charles Band Autobiography CONFESSIONS OF A PUPPETMASTER coming this Fall from HarperCollins!

Renowned producer, director, and “B movie” showman Charles Band takes readers on a wild romp through Hollywood’s decidedly un-Oscar-worthy underbelly, where mayhem and zombies reign supreme, and cheap thrills and entertainment are king

Zombies, aliens, a little skin, lots of gore—and even more laughs—the cinematic universe of Charles Band is legendary. From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love. In Confessions of a Puppetmaster, this congenial master of Grindhouse cinema tells his own story, uncut.

Born into a family of artists, Band spent much of his childhood in Rome where his father worked in the film industry. Early visits to movie sets sealed young Charlie’s fate. By his twenties he had plunged into moviemaking himself and found his calling in exploitation movies—quick, low-budget efforts that exploit the zeitgeist and feed people’s desire for clever, low-brow entertainment. His films crossed genres, from vampire flicks to sci fi to erotic musical adaptations of fairy tales. As he came into his own as a director, he was the first to give starring roles to household names like Demi Moore, Helen Hunt, and Bill Maher.

Off set, Band’s life has been equally epic. Returning to his beloved Italy, he bought both Dino De Laurentiis’s movie studio and a medieval castle. After Romania’s oppressive communist regime fell, he circumvented the U.S. State Department to shoot films in Dracula’s homeland. He made—and then lost—a moviemaking fortune. A visionary, Band was also at the vanguard of the transition to home video and streaming, making and distributing direct-to-video movies long before the major studios caught on.

In this revealing tell-all, Band details the dizzying heights and catastrophic depths of his four decades in showbiz. A candid and engaging glimpse at Hollywood’s wild side, Confessions of a Puppetmaster is as entertaining as the movies that made this consummate schlockmeister famous.

While the book (written with Emmy award winning writer and humorist Adam Felber) will not be released to bookstores until November 16th, you can pre-order your copy of the first printing now HERE. Charles Band’s story is larger than life and CONFESSIONS OF A PUPPETMASTER is a totally uncensored, warts-and-all look at one of the most iconic cinema slingers in history!

[bloojayoolie]

Trump, Mind, and Who: Adam Felber @adamfelber Things will get loud, so keep this in mind: 1) There are people about to testify under oath, under penalty of perjury, that Trump did these things. 2) There are people who say Trump did NOT do these things. Exactly none of them are willing to testify under oath. That's it. There are people on both sides...

[shelveswithstories]

Schrödinger’s Ball - Adam Felber

During my stay in Ecuador, I wandered into a second-hand bookstore to pick up a new book since I had finished the ones I brought with me. I’m not sure what drew me to this particular one, it might have been the bright colour of the cover.

I find it difficult to explain what this book is about. But I guess it’s a very elaborate example of the famous theory surrounding Schrödinger’s Cat. We basically follow 4 friends during a weekend filled with weird things.

First of all: one of them (Johnny) shoots himself in the face in his grandmother’s basement. But he is not dead until someone finds him there, so he spends the weekend with his friends.

Then there is our narrator who finds himself hanging out with Dr. Schrödinger the entire weekend without knowing where the good man came from and why he’s walking around giving lectures on physics like a deranged professor.

Overall, Schrödinger’s Ball was an entertaining read, but I didn’t bring the book back home with me and that might say enough.

[twincitiesgeek]

Live From the Poundstone Institute Educates Listeners while Making Them Pee Their Pants from Laughter

Paula Poundstone's newest podcast manages to be hilarious while covering real science.

She’s back. Did she ever go away? Do Millennials even know about her? These things matter not. What matters is Paula Poundstone, the legendary comic known for her superior improv skills with audiences, has a new podcast: Live from the Poundstone Institute. Each week, listeners tune in to find the familiarity of the hit NPR quiz program Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! combined with the comedic…

[ingridkepkova]

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/VUNUVUNUVUNU, 2018: VV VUNU #2 / Druhá výročná výstava VUNU

VV VUNU #2 / Druhá výročná výstava VUNU / 26. september (streda) / Baťov dom / Hlavná 29 / Košice

Vystavujúci: Alex Selmeci / Spolka / Martin Lukáč / Samuel Velebný / Ingrid Kepková / Martin Kiman / Adam Macko / Oskar Felber / Sára Biharyova / Tobiáš Paral / Tibor Czitó / Michal Mitro / Tomáš Kocka / Dalibor Jancura / Viktória Lengyelová / Ines Karčáková / Viktor Šefčík / Pavol Červeniak / Maroš Kontroš / Lucia Méderová

Kurátor: Nikolas Bernáth

[targuman]

My Voicemail from Wait, wait! Don't tell me!

My @waitwait voicemail from @adamfelber!

Almost a year ago I was a listener contestant on WWDTM. I was in the “Who’s Bill This Time?” segment, right at the top of the show. I selected Adam Felber to record my voicemail and offered a few suggestions as to a script. I have had it for a while now, but it just occurred to me that I had not shared it! So now, rather than have to call my phone, you can just click the play ▶️ button below.

[why-i-love-comics]

Skrull Kill Krew #2 - "Apocalypse Cow!" (2009)

written by Adam Felber art by Mark Robinson, Rob DiSalvo, Mike Getty, & Andres Mossa

[okayto]

Podcast Recs (Part II)

(Part I here)

I categorize my podcasts roughly depending on what mood I’m in when I listen, and this next batch I think of as humorous panelists. They’re all multiple people whose attempts at staying on topic are only mostly successful, but always funny.

Dear Hank and John

Hank and John Green (of YouTube/book/etc fame) answer questions, give dubious advice, and give you important (?) news about Mars (the planet) and AFC Wimbledon (the third tier English soccer team).

I am not a nerdfighter (the term for the Green bros’ dedicated fanbase), nor have I read any of their books, but advice columns in any form are always fascinating. What I find fun about this one in particular is that Hank and John play off each other so well--watching (hearing) siblings interact is often downright funny.

There are over 100 1-hour episodes though you can start anywhere. Most of the content isn’t particularly time-sensitive.

Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me

Before podcasts, I had to make sure I was near the radio every Saturday in time to hear this weekly humor news quiz from NPR. Running on the radio since 1998 and recorded in front of a live audience, a rotating selection of panelists and call-in listeners answer questions about the week’s news (particularly the funny or dumb things that have happened). The “Not My Job” segment invites celebrity guests (authors to musicians to athletes to politicians) on to answer questions about something unrelated-except-for-being-a-pun to their specialty.

Any week is a good starting point, and the archives on any given site I can find only go back a few months. Each episode is about 50 minutes, and it’s one of the few news-related things these days that won’t make me want to curl up and cry.

Live from the Poundstone Institute

If you’re one of the many people who listens to Wait Wait and wishes it could be retooled into just Paula Poundstone reacting to news, that’s basically this podcast. Cancelled after one 13-episode season (whyyyyy), Poundstone and cohost (fellow Wait Wait panelist Adam Felber) interview researchers and share information on topics from “what music cats like to the fluid dynamics of spilling coffee,” with plenty of humor along the way.

Good Christian Fun

A discussion-based comedy podcast “delving into the strange upside-down world of Christian pop culture.” It aims to be funny and accessible to people of any faith, regardless of whether you grew up Christian. I can’t tell you how fun it is if you didn’t, but as someone who did grow up with a lot of things discussed, I find it hilarious without getting mean-spirited.

Each episode, the hosts focus on one thing--a music group (dc Talk, Jars of Clay, Amy Grant), a movie (Christian Mingle, God’s Not Dead, Left Behind), or some other aspect of pop culture from roughly the mid-80s to now (Bibleman, McGee and Me) and discuss-slash-tear it apart.

I honestly would not have cared except that I saw they had episodes on both Jump5 (the Disneybop-sounding teen group that was my jam) and Veggietales (which is still legitimately funny), and now I’m hooked. Their movie-based episodes are great though, in a spork-the-bad-movie kind of way. This is an easy podcast to skip around in and pick up anywhere. It has fewer than 30 episodes now, but each clocks in at 1.5 hours+ (?!?!), so I save it for doing chores/cooking and other times I don’t want to mess with queuing up a bunch of episodes or risk missing the story if I can’t hear for a few minutes.