Community’s Donald Glover chats with Marc about the Confederate South, black nerds, Spider-man, Tracy Morgan, Jehovah’s Witnesses, foster kids, and Childish Gambino. This episode is sponsored by Pro Flowers (use WTF as the coupon code) and by Comedy Central.
Author Jillian Lauren happens to be Marc’s neighbor. Amazingly, that’s not the most harrowing thing she’s ever been through. She discusses the details of her memoir, in which she became a highly paid escort and a concubine in the Prince of Brunei’s harem, as well as her new novel and her life since becoming a mom. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click the radio mic and enter WTF for a special offer.
Marc talks with Anthony Bourdain about food, drugs, truth and travel. What’s the most soulful food Anthony’s ever eaten? Why did smoking crack lead to an obsession with surveillance material? How are cooking and stand-up comedy alike? What countries does Anthony refuse to visit?
Comedian Henry Phillips can’t put down his guitar. He tells Marc about his songwriting process, his influences from Ben Folds to Black Sabbath, and his most enduring muse—a gang-banging heckler who haunts his thoughts. Plus, Marc joins in with some blues-riffing of his own. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central and Audible.
From the WTF Archives, Marc’s interview with the late Patrice O’Neal.
Marc sits down with the very vocal half of Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette. They discuss the importance of filth, circus freaks, street juggling, good parenting, and the overlap between Penn’s atheism and libertarianism. Plus, Marc envisions going off the grid. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click the radio mic and enter WTF for a special offer.
Dr. Stephen Dansiger is better known to the WTF audience as Marc’s trusty psychotherapist friend Dr. Steve. But most listeners probably don’t know about his own painful journey from rock stardom, through drugs and alcohol, into mental hospitals, beyond disappointment, and ultimately to sobriety, getting his PhD and starting a family. This episode is sponsored in part by Comedy Central.
Marc knows Mary Lynn Rajskub from back in the Mr. Show days, but he’s only scratched the surface of knowing who she really is. Mary Lynn gets him up to speed on her life as a mom, her wildly popular stint on 24, and her infamous kiss with Rush Limbaugh. This show is sponsored by Comedy Central, My Damn Channel and Alternate Histories.
The extraordinary Merrill Markoe joins Marc to talk about crazy moms, crazier comedians and the connection the two groups share. Merrill also details the origins of Late Night with David Letterman, where she served as the head writer. Plus, Marc finds some culture and loses part of his identity. This episode is sponsored by Adam and Eve. Enter WTF at the checkout for a special offer.
Parks and Recreation star Adam Scott and Marc deal with the profound issues facing humanity today. It turns out a lot of those issues are covered up by the compulsive use of nicotine supplements. Also, Adam discusses his fear of being fired from the movie Step Brothers and his surprise at being accepted into the comedy community. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com - click on the radio mic and enter WTF for a special offer.
Andy Kindler revisits his Dead Head past, Harris Wittels reveals his brief career as a nanny, Molly Shannon recounts a childhood story that is both touching and negligent, and Neil Hamburger regrets his long career of disappointments and missed opportunities. Plus, Jim Earl and Eddie Pepitone, as it should be. This episode is sponsored by MyDamnChannel.com, the best place for original comedy on the internet.
Rainn Wilson and Marc had their first movie roles in the same film, Almost Famous. Now, they’re both actually famous and having a chat in the garage. They talk faith, failure, typecasting and philosophy, with a little reflection on The Office, as well. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Enter WTF when you click on the radio mic for a special offer.
Chris Rock talks with Marc about getting his start in comedy thanks to Eddie Murphy. He explains why he went from Saturday Night Live to In Living Color. And he reveals the one relationship in his life that had the biggest impact on helping him breaking through with his Bring The Pain stand-up special. It’s Chris Rock on WTF. Come on. This episode is sponsored by Adam & Eve and Audible.
Rachel Feinstein encounters bizarre fans on the road, Gabe Liedman finds comedy in coming out, Jullian McCullough gets compulsive over Ben and Jerry’s, Jodi Lennon stares down cancer, Scott Adsit brings his mom, and Seth Meyers gets one-upped by the President. Recorded live at The Bell House in Brooklyn. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click the radio mic and enter WTF for a special offer.
Author Steve Almond shows Marc that writers can be just as tortured and self-doubting as comedians. The two of them discuss the highs and lows of a writer’s creative process. Plus, Marc finds out he has a new disorder and he gets a very adult phone call from an old friend. This episode is sponsored by Adam & Eve and Audible.
The last time Marc spoke with a prop comic, it didn’t end well. But things are different this time when Marc heads to Casa de Carrot Top in Las Vegas. Carrot Top reveals the origins of his act, examines his feelings about the way he’s treated by other comics, and gets reflective about Bill Hicks and George Carlin. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click on the radio microphone and enter WTF for a no-risk trial and a bonus offer worth $110.
Hannibal Buress’ life in comedy has taken him from his hometown of Chicago to the streets of New York City. Literally the streets. He talks about being voluntarily homeless while trying to make it as a stand-up, having awkward experiences with predominantly black audiences, and getting sweet gigs on SNL and 30 Rock. This episode is sponsored by Adam and Eve. Use WTF at the checkout for a special offer.
After 218 episodes, it takes a lot for a guest to surprise Marc with his candor and sensitivity in a Cat Ranch interview. Norm Macdonald is able to do just that as he discusses his career accomplishments and the darker side of his personality that threatened everything he had achieved. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click on the radio microphone and enter WTF for a no-risk trial and a bonus offer worth $110.