Following last weeks revelation of the first semi-final, this week features the second of these! First up, it’s the podcast pioneers of You Look Nice Today: Scott Simpson, Merlin Mann and Adam Lisagor up against one of the most famed podcasts, Scott Aukerman’s Comedy Bang Bang! Who will win? Read on and find out!
Adam, Scott and Merlin
Hosts: What makes YLNT so special is how the trio share a similar ilk, but are different enough to make them obviously individual, allowing them to share a synchronous thought process, but one which still lets them surprise one another near constantly. Though only Lisagor was termed the ‘Sultan of Awkward’ by Mann, their shared difficulties in the passage through human life grants them near-guru status in the art of being socially outcast, an art which very much chimes with much of a podcast audience. Aukerman takes an entirely different track, being much more outright comedic, loving to jump into bits right from the off. The guests give him an extra angle to work with too, as Scott relishes these opportunities to either try and catch these creations off-guard or to advance the bit at a vast pace, forcing them into reciting a poem, removing a layer or unveiling new and bizarre angles of themselves to respond to these. YLNT’s hosts share this affinity for jumping headlong into bits, never frightened to be over-silly, always emerging with hilarious results. For his part, Aukerman could do with a few more of the solo sections he used to introduce, such as his conversation with Prince that would grace the show from time to time. As this just adds a chime of difference to the show. But the first section goes to You Look Nice Today, whose chemistry and revolving hilarity is a near endless and irreverent charm.
Scott Aukerman Esq. c/o Earwolf
Bits: As mentioned above, both these shows share a real devotion to a bit. Comedy Bang Bang’s is more clearly defined, each character guest being either a bizarre parody or ridiculous invention, sometimes much practised (like James Adomian or Andy Daly’s characters) and sometimes much less so (here’s looking at you Harris Wittels) but are usually untenably hilarious either way. These bits bring Aukerman to life oftentimes, sparked by the stupidity or plain weirdness of these characters, ably jumping into their worlds and plucking at the more shakily defined edges with relish. YLNT has a more subtle bit structure, often based in the creation of a business verging somewhere between the illegal and the unsanitary, which is lovingly and elaborately fleshed out throughout an episode. These business models often also rely on a series of strange assumptions of human behaviour by the three, for which they offer equally hilarious and strange advice for. CBB, to it’s credit, is also increasingly focusing on new guests and having a greater play of the ‘non-acting’ players in recent months, rather than relying on the same kind of bits that have gone previous, branching out in interesting if not always successful ways. This section again though must go to YLNT, whose consistent excellence trumps the all too regular average episodes of CBB.
Ahh, sweet victory!
Staying Power and Definitiveness: Both shows share the privilege of being definers of their medium. YLNT’s long standing means that they are almost an institution in the podcast world, their triumvirate of ageing nerds being all but synonymous with the format. Equally medium-defining is their insistence on being obtuse and facetious, a habit that can all too often be grating, but in this trios hands is a wonderfully playful re-arrangement of the truth: able to poke at human life in a way that is entirely cliche averse and near-constantly hilarious. Many of the same compliments could be applied to CBB too though, who have, since 2010, produced far more content than YLNT has ever managed. Not to mention it’s equally impressive impression on the podcast scene, not least through being the herald of the Earwolf network, but through Aukerman’s elegant hosting of characters and the manner in which they tiptoe around the notion of whether the guests are real or not. CBB was also an instigator of many of the podcasts that would follow suit down the ‘LA podcast of comedians’ route, hosting several of these on Earwolf itself of course. Much as YLNT is an institution, this dead rubber of a section will still go to CBB, for the constant creation of product, and it’s more rare but still impeccable highs.
So You Look Nice Today wins 2-1 and will face off against either Never Not Funny or WTF with Marc Maron next week after their very own clash of the titans. Until then, you can find todays podcasts on iTunes, and the hosts @scottsimpson, @hotdogsladies, @lonelysandwich and @ScottAukerman