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Podcast of the Week: WTF with Marc Maron

Podcasts haven’t really grown into their own until the last few years, and now they’re pretty hard to ignore in the online scape. Most comedians now find themselves able to try out new material, connect with fans and chat about their lives. It’s a way to connect with the people you laugh with and really see what makes them tick.

No one takes a more blunt approach to this than Marc Maron. A former cocaine addict and alcoholic, Maron took to the stage early in Boston’s comedy scene before being a sort of comedian’s–comedian, and after trying to find success in the alternative scene, he took to his garage, lovingly called “the cat ranch”, invited fellow comedians and held sit down chats with funny people from around the industry to discuss the life that many of us wouldn’t think of.

What makes Maron the ideal host of this sort of longform interview show is, strangely, his self-centered nature and his years of life on the scene. He’s got stories of living hard and dangerously and bumping up against nearly everyone in the comedy world and he’s not afraid to share what he’s seen and done.

He’ll tell Patton Oswalt to his face that he’s always been jealous of his success. He’ll force mallet wielder Gallagher about the racist and homophobic nature of his act. He’ll bring in the comedians that Carlos Mencia stole material from to show the fallen star who his lies effected. It’s blunt, but it makes for powerful and interesting listening.

Maron’s self interest can occasionally outshine his guests, but the huge personalities of everyone involved always shine through. Regardless of if it’s a performer you’ve never heard of before or a star of the industry, it’s always inspired and intriguing listening for comedy fans of all sorts.

Download now: Maron’s passive-aggressive chat with alcoholic/freak show “Andy Dick,” the controversial and shocking “Gallagher” interview, hashing out an argument between former enemies with “Patton Oswalt” and the slightly ego-bloated 200th episode with “Marc Maron as told to Mike Birbiglia.”

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