In our culture of on-demand and streaming entertainment, podcasts have taken over for broadcast radio in a big way. All of the best comedians working today either have their own show or have been featured on one. Now that all of the funniest comedians have a creative outlet for all the silliest ideas in their head, it leads to some really funny stuff. With so many shows available, sometimes it's tough to figure out what to listen to. If you're wondering what the best podcasts are, we've got you covered.
These are ten of the funniest podcasts available right now, and they are guaranteed to make that commute to work every morning a whole lot more enjoyable. Warning: if you're listening to these in public, you will end up laughing out loud.
10 of the Funniest Comedy Podcasts,
How Did This Get Made?
Comedian Paul Scheer and his co-hosts June Diane-Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas have a deep appreciation for the art of bad movies. Every other week, they choose a movie to pull apart scene by scene in an attempt to find out how millions of dollars are spent on these movies that simply make no sense.
In the above animated clip from the show, Jason Manzoukas tries (and fails) to explain the opening scene of the incomprehensible 1980s horror film "Sleepaway Camp." The arguments and discussions they get in while trying to describe even the basic plot of these terrible movies is often laugh-out-loud hysterical.
Smodcast
Whether you love or hate his movies, there is no denying that filmmaker Kevin Smith is a master storyteller. Smodcast is his podcast collaboration with his long-time friend and colleague Scott Mosier. Mosier and Smith talk about weird news stories and current events, often spiraling into bizarre skits and characters. The chemistry between the two hosts is something that could truly only come from people who have known each other for 20+ years and their shared wavelength makes for some classic comedic moments. Just hearing Smith's infectious laughter and marijuana-induced coughing fits is enough to tickle anyone's funnybone.
In the attached clip, Smith tells Mosier a true story about a British man who put out a classified ad looking for a roommate who could live with him for free as long as he agrees to wear a custom-made walrus suit around the house for at least two hours a day. Smith comes to the conclusion that this would make a truly twisted horror film, and as the discussion goes on they actually come up with an intriguing plot. In fact, the episode was so well-received that Smith decided to actually make the film. "Tusk" will be released later this year and stars Justin Long and Michael Parks.
The Indoor Kids
The Indoor Kids is a video game podcast hosted by comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon. The duo invites a guest to discuss gaming, nerd culture and whatever else comes up. Usually, games are the starting point for a conversation that twists into hilarious and sometimes thought-provoking directions.
In the above video episode of the Indoor Kids, comedian Pete Holmes (The Pete Holmes Show) joins them to play Street Fighter and talk about his experience with video games throughout his life.
Who Charted?
Who Charted? is a weekly countdown of the most popular music and movies of the week with hosts Kulap Vilaysack and Howard Kremer and a special guest. The charts are used as a way to get to know their guest by discussing what is popular and why. Howard Kremer's nutty sense of humor matched with Kulap's upbeat energy and constant giggling make it a constant source of laughs.
In this clip, comedian and metal-enthusiast Brian Posehn explains why pop music doesn't interest him, while Howard gives his thoughts on the members of Arcade Fire.
The Monday Morning Podcast
Undoubtedly, the simplest podcast on this list is The Monday Morning Podcast with Bill Burr. Every Monday morning, brilliant and perpetually angry comedian Bill Burr sits in front of his computer and rants about sports, news and listener emails. Harkening back to the days of old-school talk radio, this is simply a man and a microphone and it couldn't be funnier.
Burr's inability to correctly read the advertising copy for the show is a reccuring joke amongst the fans and Bill himself. Some of the advertisements have reached such ridiculous levels that the advertisers have dropped out, which leaves Burr completely unphased. Check out the above clip where he gets a severe case of the giggles while reading advertising for "Sherri's Berries."
Never Not Funny
Never Not Funny with Jimmy Pardo is one of the original comedy podcasts and has been released weekly since 2006. The format is beautifully simple: lightning-fast stand-up comedian Jimmy Pardo ("Conan") and his co-host Matt Belknap invite a comedian to sit with them and have a conversation. That's it. There are no topics, games or features, which actually leads to some wildly funny stuff. Pardo's rapid-fire mind jumps from '80s rock and roll to movies to TV and everything in between. It's a ton of fun to listen to his guest try to keep up.
In the above clip, Jimmy and Matt talk to Conan O'Brien about late night talk show guests, sandwiches and fame.
Comedy Bang Bang
Comedy Bang Bang is consistently one of the most insane weekly podcasts available on the web. Each episode features the host Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show With Bob and David) talking to a comedian or celebrity guest while another comedian plays some sort of character. These characters include spot-on impersonations of celebrities, bizarre alternate versions of pop culture figures, and a wide-range of bizarre original creations.
In the above clip, comedian Paul F. Tompkins plays his version of "Cake Boss," the reality TV chef who is famous for elaborate cakes and a thick Jersey accent. Tompkins' version is mentally ill (possibly an alien) and ends almost every sentence by yelling out his own name.
Doug Loves Movies
Doug Loves Movies is a film nerd's dream podcast. Stoner comedian Doug Benson (Super High Me) hosts a live gameshow-style movie trivia show at the UCB theater in Los Angeles. The episodes are short and sweet compared to the other entries on this list, but they are the perfect length to stay fresh every week without overstaying their welcome.
Each week, Doug brings three of his comedian friends on stage to discuss what movies they have seen lately. He makes his weekly recommendations and then launches into his bizarre yet genius trivia game "The Leonard Maltin Game." In the above clip from LA Podfest, Doug plays the final round of the game to see which audience member will win the mixed bag of weird and awesome prizes.
WTF With Marc Maron
WTF is weekly interview show recorded in neurotic comedian Marc Maron's garage. Maron starts each show as an audio diary, getting deep and personal about his relationships, work, life, and his many cats. He then transitions into an interview segment with an actor comedian or musician. What makes Maron's show different is his engaging personality and his willingness to ask people deeply personal questions.
In the attached clip, Maron talks to Chris Rock about how he got started in comedy, and seeing Eddie Murphy in his early years.
The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project
The newest (and possibly strangest) show on this list is the Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project. Over his many appearances on Comedy Bang Bang and other comedy talk shows, comedian Andy Daly has created a multitude of twisted characters. In his new show, he gives each of these characters a podcast of their own, which is presented as a "pilot" that Daly and his co-host Matt Gourley present in a short introduction.
The attached clip is from the first episode "The Wit and Wisdom of the West with Dalton Wilcox." In it, cowboy Dalton Wilcox, the self-appointed "Poet Laureate of the West" explains how his wife died because she was too fat to get out of bed.