Egoslut's Ego

PODCASTS AND VIDEO

Now I am a huge podcast junky. Ever since I saw my first show, Ask a Ninja, I have been hooked. It was what was great about the internet. It took something that up until that point was the realm of television and radio, and turned it into an accessible, open to anyone, format that changed how we look at subscribed media forever. I have been trying to put together a podcast for the past while that really celebrates and looks at the podcast community. I will keep you up to date on how that goes.

1. Diggnation

   If you know podcasts at all, you’re almost guaranteed to know Diggnation. Hosted by Alex Albrecht and digg.com creator Kevin Rose, Diggnation is a weekly show about cool stories found on the social news website digg.com. ( I will talk about this site later) This show is the grandaddy of the podcast. Also, it is creator of the common podcast format; 2 guys sit on a couch, discuss cool stuff and drink beer. It ranges from hilarious, to fascinating, to frustratingly short-sighted and back to hilarious again. If you like podcasts and you haven’t seen it. Watch it now.

   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GSORSJXTCg

2. The Totally Rad Show

   Like Diggnation, The Totally Rad Show also falls under the umbrella of podcasting network giant, Revision 3. Also like Diggnation, this show is hosted by Alex Albrecht along with his friends Jeff Cannata and Dan Tratchenberg. However, where Diggnation is primarily about the web, TRS is about movies, TV, video games, books and a number of other offline topics. At the forefront, it’s a review show looking at a variety of things to review. It also has some other interesting segments that take it out of the studio and into the real world (ie conventions, the Battlestar Galactica prop auction). However, what gives this show it’s charm is the real life relationships of the 3 hosts who are great friends in real life. That’s where the show goes from being another talking head review show and becomes a hilarious exercise in familiarity that is trying to relate to an audience. It’s kind of like being explained an inside joke every week. But awesome!!!

   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-WPA9GjK1s

3. Zero Punctuation

   This is a regular online show that, unlike the first two I’ve mentioned, isn’t an iTunes subscribed podcast. Zero Punctuation is only available at the online magazine The Escapist. This show combines my two favorite things in a podcast, video games and a bitter Brit transplanted to Australia. Created by game reviewer Ben “Yatzee” Croshaw, this show is a review of games that the aforementioned reviewer primarily hates. Also, it is done with very basic stick man animation instead of video. The combination is an incredible satirical romp though the current quagmire of video games. If you play video games, you owe it to yourself to check this out. If you don’t play video games? Go back to your Monopoly board weirdo.

   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa6WLMt-3oQ

4. Tiki Bar TV

   Tiki Bar TV has a really special warm spot in my heart. It’s not as regular as the other shows, coming out generally whenever the creators feel like it, but when a new episode does hit, it always proves why it’s one of the most popular on the web. Started in Vancouver, BC (my hometown) by Jeff McPherson, Tiki Bar TV is really just a cocktail recipe show that has a weird plotline to cover up the alcoholism of the people involved. Set in The Tiki Bar it follows the weird adventures of it characters, Dr. Tiki, Johnny Johnny (the bartender) and Lala. Together these characters get involved in incidents that transcend space, national borders, reality and sobriety. What comes out the other end is the perfect example of what you can do ina podcast that can’t be done in any other format. Plus, FREE DRINK RECIPES! Now that’s a whole pile of awesome.

   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iZqJyuOreM

5. Jake and Amir

   This is one of my current new podcast love affairs. Jake and Amir started as show on CollegeHumor.com, quickly moved to it’s own site and is now syndicating podcasts available on iTunes (or whatever you use). It follows the painfully strained relationships of Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld, two staff members of the aforementioned CollegeHumor.com. Basically it’s this, Amir is insane. To him, Jake is his best friend. To Jake, Amir is insane and NOT his best friend. In reality, they’re both fucking nuts and that’s where the comedy comes from. I also really like this show because it is really low budget in it’s production quality, which kind of adds to it’s charm. Mix that with incredible writing and the AMAZING comedy talent of Amir Blumenfeld and what you get is one of the most original shows online.

   httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP7kGKqmZJ4

Finally WEB TOOLS >>