Podcasts That Worth Your Not-So-Precious Time: WTF

I feel deep connection with Marc Maron. Not out of some silly, drooling, fanoby "we're supposed to be buddies" drive. I'm pretty sure that if i ever met him, i'd feel intimated.

The connection is rooted in the fact that, since listening to his first stand-up recording (which was the only way i could access his comedy, living in Italy), i always had the feeling he was different from any other comedian, and that he said thingsa that somehow were rooted in my brain too.

He was, and still is, an incredibly funny, intelligent man, with a rough past, a love for raw truth, always put on nforn, no matter how hard to digest it is, a gigantic self-awareness and an uncanny ability to get under people's skin and get something comedically perfect or revealtory about them. He might strike as egotistical and opinionated, self-aborbed even. But those characteristics have an oustanding upside to them: in the end he gets at you and speaks to you, no matter how.

He is what i feel i could be in a few years. How i'd want to be if i did what he did: he's brilliant, he turns his troubles into a source of hilarity and reflection (listen to any of his stand-up, or, as an example, the heartbreaking therapy-through-hilarity session of "Final Engagemnt, one of modern comedy's masterpieces). Marc is a brain set on a different wave-length with a sense of funny and reality that makes you relate and refelct, and gives you raw emotion through laughter.

So, i was overjoyed when he approached the podcast medium. He had been on the radio before, anbd delivered great moments, still being in a shut down country i always wasnt able to enjoy him at full throttle. Podcasting, with his lack of limits and its viral spreading could be a heaven for him and his abilites. And it was. The show has blossomed and changed.

It started as a simple, while hilarious, placve for Marc to voice his thoughts and rants and became what its now: the place where you can hear those unfiltered doses of raw reality and laughter and hear the BEST interviews in any medium. Bar NONE. Marc has guests on his shows that go from controversial figures like Carlos Mencia or Dane Cook, genius writers like Sam Lipsyte or Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), icons like Ira Glass or Kevin Smith, Henru Rollins, Ira Glass. Or Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Patton Oswalt, Louis Ck and more. What makes those interviews satnd-out is that no matter who the interview subject is, Marc has no prejudice or velvet gloves towards them. No matter how diufficult they are otr on what term their relationship with him is, he always get them to go on a deeper level. He gets them to open up, say things they wouldnt have said ina more official setting, to discuss hilarious, poignant or thought provoking points. No matter who they are, after hearing those interviews, you'll end up seeing them (and Marc) ina different light.

And there's a million other little details about the show that are worth loving. The open respect and care that Marc has for the saudience. The relentlessly fun live shows. The practically perfect app. The quotes. It's a show that opens the heart and mind. Its special not only in podcasting but as a medium of fun and truth. Its therapy, information and reflection in a regular dose. Check it out and support it, it's an outstanding creation. http://www.wtfpod.com