This week's Sound of Young America broadcast is a delightful ride through the world of comedic entertainment. A Joketacular, if you will.

My guest is Brian Posehn. Brian is a standup comedian who's appeared on almost every sitcom ever made as "that guy." He was also a writer and actor on HBO's Mr. Show.

I talk with Brian about his chidhood as a self-described "misfit." He describes being called in to the counselor's office, so the powers that be could check on "Brian the ticking timebomb." He also describes his early 20s, when he drunklenly leapt from a lifeguard tower and was paralyzed from the waist down. Brian also talks with us about the writer's room at Mr. Show, and his feelings about being recognized on the street. The version of the interview contained here is somewhat shortened, the full, unedited version is available here.

We also hear comedy from all over the world (OK, it's all from the US, except for one song from New Zealand, but still).

Songs:
"Pi" by Hard N Phirm
"First of May" by Jonathan Coulton
"Jenny" by Flight of the Conchords

Sketch:
"Extreme Food" from Meat (performing at Sketchfest NYC in June)

and Standup:
Todd Barry from "Invite Them Up"

Download the Show

Listen Online

Incidental Music by DJW

Subscribe in iTunes
Donate to the Show

Marty Krofft and his brother Sid Krofft created many of the 1970s most memorable television programs, particularly for children. Their creations for kids included HR Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost, Lidsville and Sigmund and the Sea Monster.

They also produced adult variety fare, including shows starring Donnie & Marie Osmond, the Brady Kids and Barbara Mandrell. The lattermost program was just released on DVD.

Before entering the world of television, Sid & Marty toured the world as puppeteers, starting in their teen years.

Please share your thoughts on this program on our forum!

HR Pufnstuf Clip

Download This Show (MP3)
Subscribe in iTunes
Review the show in iTunes
Please Donate to Support the Show

Listen to This Week's Show

Please allow our low-bandwidth server a little time after you click "play"

Our intersititial music is provided by Dan Wally

You might also enjoy these shows:
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Gorillaz creator Jamie Hewlett
Worlds of Wonder with Terry Gilliam and Chris Elliott

In the early 1960s, James P. Coyle and Mal Sharpe roamed the streets of San Francisco, microphone in hand, roping strangers into bizarre schemes and surreal stunts. Today, their humor is a cultural touchstone for artists as varied as Henry Rollins and The Upright Citizens Brigade.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, which is tended by Mal's daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. You can learn more about Coyle & Sharpe on their website or on MySpace. Their recent box set is These 2 Men Are Imposters.

This week, Coyle & Sharpe discuss the merits and difficulties of having an extremely elongated head. The head is elongated through the power of science, and is desirable for social reasons.

Subscribe in iTunes
Podcast Feed
Discuss the show on the forum
Download This Episode

Hear This Episode

(Please give our server a moment to load after clicking play)

Bob Odenkirk has written for Saturday Night Live, and won an Emmy for his writing on The Ben Stiller Show. He co-created and starred in the sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David, and directed the films Melvin Goes to Dinner and Let's Go To Prison. He also directed the upcoming film The Brothers Solomon, which was written by and stars SNL's Will Forte, alongside Kristen Wiig and Will Arnett.

Odenkirk's latest project is "Derek and Simon," a series of shorts featuring comedians Derek Waters and Simon Helberg on Super Deluxe. Their casual, conversational tone is pierced by sometimes outrageous premises. Below is the first episode.

Please share your thoughts on this program on our forum!

Download This Show (MP3)
Subscribe in iTunes
Review the show in iTunes
Please Donate to Support the Show

Listen to This Week's Show

Please allow our low-bandwidth server a little time after you click "play"

Our intersititial music is provided by Dan Wally

You might also enjoy these shows:
Joketacular with Mr. Show writer/performer Brian Posehn
Goofaround Gang with Mr. Show writer/performer Paul F. Tompkins and Tim & Eric
Joke Warfare with Mr. Show writer Dino Stampatopoulos

The College Years is a look deep into the vaults of The Sound of Young America. Take a journey with us every week as we post a new program or two from our salad days.

This week's dip in the archival river of The Sound of Young America makes you come up with leeches in the form of guys in their underwear. First, the guys talk to the mysterious Inspector #14 of underwear-inspecting fame. After, legendary soul singer Swamp Dogg talks about being a cult artist, his transformation into Swamp Dogg and why his liner notes were so great. Also, some of his hard-to-find, great music is played and discussed.

Subscribe in iTunes

Listen Online

Download This Week's Show

In this week's Jordan Jesse GO!, we discuss vacations and more.

* Review the show on iTunes.
* Do you have a dispute Judge John Hodgman can solve on a future broadcast? Email it to us! Put Judge John in the subject line.
* Have personal questions for Jesse and Jordan? Call 206-984-4FUN and tell us what they are!
* Would you like to play Would You Rather with us on a future episode? Email us or give us a call at 206-984-4FUN.

Call 206-984-4FUN to share your thoughts on these ACTION ITEMS.

Subscribe in iTunes

Podcast Feed

Discuss the show on the forum

Download This Episode

Hear This Episode Now

Our theme music: "Love You" by The Free Design, courtesy of The Free Design and Light in the Attic Records

How's this for a change of pace... an issue-oriented TSOYA! We talk with two people I really like about a phenomenon I really hate: celebrity snark.

Amelie Gillette is the author of the very funny column and blog "The Hater" for The Onion AV Club. Alex Blagg is one of the bloggers on BestWeekEver.TV, the blog spinoff of the popular VH1 series.

We talk about the proliferation of celebrity snark, the recent Kimmel/Gawker kerfuffle and much more.

Please share your thoughts on this program on our forum!

Download This Show (MP3)
Subscribe in iTunes
Review the show in iTunes
Please Donate to Support the Show

Listen to This Week's Show

Please allow our low-bandwidth server a little time after you click "play"

Our intersititial music is provided by Dan Wally

The Sound of Young America is underwritten in part by Project Breakout

You might also enjoy these shows:
Yuval Taylor on "Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music"
Wonder with Michael Ivins of the Flaming Lips and New Yorker writer Lawrence Weschler
Elements of Style with illustrator Maira Kalman and author George Pelecanos

In the early 1960s, James P. Coyle and Mal Sharpe roamed the streets of San Francisco, microphone in hand, roping strangers into bizarre schemes and surreal stunts. Today, their humor is a cultural touchstone for artists as varied as Henry Rollins and The Upright Citizens Brigade.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, which is tended by Mal's daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. You can learn more about Coyle & Sharpe on their website or on MySpace. Their recent box set is These 2 Men Are Imposters.

This week, Coyle & Sharpe invade a football practice field, where the ask a coach for his help training their wolverines in sport.

Subscribe in iTunes
Podcast Feed
Discuss the show on the forum
Download This Episode

Hear This Episode

(Please give our server a moment to load after clicking play)

Jack El-Hai is the author of "The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and his Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness." It traces the life of Dr. Walter Freeman (pictured above), who popularized the lobotomy. The technique was innovative in its time, but Freeman continued performing it long after more effective pharmaceutical treatments were available. Nonetheless, Freeman was an innovator in treating the physical causes of mental illness.

Please share your thoughts on this program on our forum!

Download This Show (MP3)
Subscribe in iTunes
Review the show in iTunes
Please Donate to Support the Show

Listen to This Week's Show

Please allow our low-bandwidth server a little time after you click "play"

Our intersititial music is provided by Dan Wally

The Sound of Young America is underwritten in part by Project Breakout

You might also enjoy these shows:
Yuval Taylor on "Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music"
Wonder with Michael Ivins of the Flaming Lips and New Yorker writer Lawrence Weschler
Elements of Style with illustrator Maira Kalman and author George Pelecanos

Sarah Thyre is an actress and writer. She's been seen as Coach Cherri Wolf on "Strangers with Candy," and on The Upright Citizens Brigade and Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Her memoir, "Dark at the Roots," describes her childhood in the deep south. Rebellious and irreverent, but also secretly deeply class and status conscious, she struggled through catholic school as an outsider.

Please share your thoughts on this program on our forum!

Download This Show (MP3)
Subscribe in iTunes
Review the show in iTunes
Please Donate to Support the Show

Listen to This Week's Show

Please allow our low-bandwidth server a little time after you click "play"

Our intersititial music is provided by Dan Wally

The Sound of Young America is underwritten in part by Project Breakout

You might also enjoy these shows:
Entertaining with Jimmy Carr and Amy Sedaris
Author Vendela Vida
30 Rock co-star Jack McBrayer