Right now my mind is divided between trying to figure out how to make a better podcast and how to save Africa. All that, and I ended up late to work. Well, I think I have the Africa issue solved as well as possible right now, so I need your help on the podcast.
Yeah? Well, what do I get for helping you?
You get more free funny, and even funnier funny. The plan is to do a lot (and I mean a lot) of cutting for the next podcast to make it shorter and more streamlined, but I want to do my best not to throw the wheat out with the chaff. Thus, I need constructive criticism on the first two podcasts. What worked? What didn’t work? Where was it too slow? I especially want focus on the little things – little things that bothered you and the little things that made you laugh – because the little things make the biggest difference.
We here at IMAO believe podcasting is the further evolution of blogging, but we need your help to evolve better than the others so that we can smash in their Neanderthal skulls if necessary. You are all honorable ronin, and we thank you in advance for your help and support.
More SarahK.
She’s funny and sings well, too!!!
More gun stuff would be cool, too?
What is the African solution, anyway?
Just curious…
I’m trying to wean myself of that.
First! D’oh!!! It’s not working yet!
Pretty funny comment about Estrada.
But your link doesn’t work, Plea Deal!
I think you need some africans in the podcast.
I don’t think you need to cut much of anything from your podcasts….I mean, we only listen because we want to, and we can always fast foreward if we are bored. I enjoyed all of it…and if you are going to spend the time to record it, you could at least send it out. That would be more blog-like anyway. Besides, Less Editing=More Free Ice Cream.
That all said, i think you could work on the lefty speach a little bit…I still laughed, but it wasn’t as funny as the rest of the stuff. Plus, I like that it sounds like NPR….they would hate that, so keep it up.
Maybe instead of taking things out, you could put each segment out separately, so that we can listen to them individually, or not, if we don’t want to. I have no idea how the podcast stuff works, however, so maybe this would take too much effort.
I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I enjoyed the ‘casts, and I’d like to have more of them, not more edited stuff.
First time listener…long time reader…dittos to Podcast People (this is an offshoot of Rush Limbaugh isn’t it?)…loved the podcast and found it all very amusing. Keep up the good work! Oh, and SarahK does have a beautiful voice…from her mother.
Overall it needs to be more polished and fast-paced. RWD and SarahK were the best. Frank Discourse needs to be seriously fixed or thrown out. Too slow and boring. Other Frank bits were good but not good enough. Keep working on it. You’re getting there….at least, in that direction….
What is this podcast you speak of?
Is the IMAO blog in danger of becoming obsolete?
Didnt’ the pod people in “Body Snatchers” all turn out to be bad?
No good can come of this….
More cowbell.
Kill Frank Discourse at the end. It adds nothing. Unless SarahK is required to sing all of her responses.
I agree with cutting it into sections if possible.
One little thing that bothered me in the first podcast was that Frank does the most horrible impressions in his editorial. So stop that.
Also when will Aquaman have a segment?
First and foremost – everybody except RWD talks a little on the slow side. We’re all big boys and girls. You can talk faster. 🙂
The Tom DeLay sketch fell flat; there was WAY too much lead in for a pretty tame punchline at M. Moore’s expense. Cutting out the automated phone menu would have shortened it without subtracting anything. The movie preview voiceover needed a LOT more energy. You’ve heard actual trailer voiceovers – they’re almost parodies of themselves. But the Bush sketch was nice (minus the over-the-top Laura Bush voice, which grated a bit). I see a few comments here on killing Frank Discourse, but that part has the most potential. It just needs to be faster paced, and the group needs to be less timid about chiming in with thoughts instead of waiting to be called on.
Overall, the biggest complaint I have is that it’s lacking in energy. I don’t know how best to describe it. There’s just no “punch” to it. There tend to be too-long lead-ins to the punchlines, and most of it just feels too laid back. That being said, it’s still enjoyable. I just don’t see it bringing in folks who aren’t already fans.
What’s a “pod”? You not talking about one of those things from, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” are you?
Yes, want to play some golf?
Actually, I rather like it. Of course, it could be edited for time and punch, but that requires LOTS of time and LOTS of material, seeing as a large percentage of material doesn’t “make the cut.” I don’t mind the laid back feel, myself. The sketch was good (other than Laura Bush’s voice) and of course, SarahK was good. The rest was amusing, and I think it’s mostly a case of what quality/quantity of humor material you guys come up with that particular week that determines the overall funny. Trying to match a radio broadcast level of streamlined editing isn’t something I necessarily expect from you guys every week. Please keep it up, though…you’ll find a balance between quality and time spent making it soon enough.
One thing, though–pop filters! Get them for your mics! Please! That is all.
So the hate-filled lefty is Woody Allen?
Everything is excellent. Can you possibly add some streaming video of your Bride-to-be…uh…you know…um…well…KIDDING!!!
I thought most of it was funny. The George Bush immitation is almost perfect…the Laura Bush voice, however, doesn’t sound like her at all. Perhaps if she talked a bit faster and with a less extreme accent…I almost can’t listen to that part because of her accent.
All the rest of it I like. The reviews of the states are funny, though I wonder if there will be enough material to go all the way through all fifty of them. SarahK’s reviews are good, as are the Frank sections. I also really like Frank Discourse. It has a nice feel to it, like you’re all just hanging out talking about stuff. I also very much like the general sound of it. The sound effects and music is pretty good…I’ve never listened to NPR so I don’t know if it sounds like it, but I do like the sound in general.
By the way, I know this is off-topic, but do you guys really use Skype for the Frank Discourse? How well does it work? I’m going to Ireland for a few months this year, and free internet telephony that just works would certainly come in handy.
Use the L & O “Doink Doink” more 🙂
Woah! Keep Frank Discourse. That’s- by far- my favorite part. I actually laughed out loud at it, last week, and I’m slow to do that.
Last week’s Frank Discourse was better, though. It’s a good improv humor type thing, which contrasts nicely with the planned things.
Personally don’t like RWD’s speaking voice, but that may be just me. He could make it better by trimming the monologue down a bit. Monologues can be difficult when you don’t have audience response.
To add to that, I agree that longer is usually better. Everybody, as I’ve found out, seems to have radically different humor tastes. Try to cater to all of those, and don’t cut out parts that some people don’t believe are funny, just because some don’t like them.
This isn’t a TV show. We can fast-forward through them as we please.
I like the Editorials at the beginning, especially the unnamed sources editorial. And the McLuaghlin Group thing.
The largest country club was hilarious as well.
I liked the Hate Filled Lefty.
I didn’t like with the guy crying. It went on way too long.
I tried playing that one part backwards, and I couldn’t find anything.
More Spacemonkey!
If I may address a post made by some other person (nothing personal to them of course, I just wanted to note something about it):
“To add to that, I agree that longer is usually better. Everybody, as I’ve found out, seems to have radically different humor tastes. Try to cater to all of those, and don’t cut out parts that some people don’t believe are funny, just because some don’t like them.”
It is true that everyone has different humor tastes. But you HAVE to be careful not to go all across the board trying to please everyone, because you’re rarely going to be able to do that. It’s perfectly fine to have different segments add different aspects of humor, but you should generally stick to the kind of “funny” that you (and your compatriots) are more comfortable with. This should be obvious. Your main problem at this point is experience and professionalism in relation to an audio medium as opposed to written humor. Personally, I like the faster paced stuff (and think it works a lot better on radio, one of the reasons Frank Discourse doesn’t appeal to me, because it sounds like a poor attempt at mimicking certain types of programs without enough effort or quality put into it) and, well, I’d like to see you being a little more critical of the work being put into this (by everyone) to try and weed out the bad stuff (or improve it) and keep adding the good stuff. Most of all, you have to look at this as a complete project with a certain continued rhythm and way about it, and not just a collection of random audio files. Add recurring themes or jokes, keep up the pace, do what you have to. But, as I said, do not try to make everyone happy because it’s going to be far too hectic. Go with the kind of humor you like. Just improve upon your delivery of that humor.
I don’t want to rain on the SarahK parade, I enjoy her contributions to the blog, but please, no singing, and no hee-haw. There are subtle ways to tell the listener that she is texan.
I think the one thing that should be added is an interview with the limey! Have some rage playing in the background while the little weasel spouts socialist viewpoints. that would rock.
Hey, the yee-haw is one of my favortite parts.
I actually had that SarahK tune stuck in my head.
Senator – You know what really sucks? That’s my REAL voice. I’ve been asked by Frank to sound less Miguel Estrada and more Eric Estrada.
The Hate Filled Lefty really rocks. My boys keep begging me to play that bit over and over for them, they’re rollin every single time they hear it. I’m not sure if I’m laughin at it or them at this point. I wouldn’t have minded had that been a little longer and wait eagerly for more. I would love to know who does that character!
I love Sarah’s singing and especially the yee-haw, sounds very pro to me, not a bit over the top…maybe cuz I’m suthun? I dunno but melikes.
Ducky-
We think you sound a little like Fez, from “That 70’s Show”. lol Very interesting voice really, just maybe need to speak a little louder/stronger, in my opinion. 🙂
Tony-
“I think the one thing that should be added is an interview with the limey! Have some rage playing in the background while the little weasel spouts socialist viewpoints. that would rock.”
That would be very funny. hehe
Thanks JJ.
While SpaceMonkey does sound a lot like Wilmer Valderrama who plays “Fez” in That 70’s Show, I can tell you that to our knowledge, our Spacemokney has not seen Lindsay Lohan in a thong.
She’s a freaky girl, but apparently not THAT freaky…
Er, oh yeah spacemonkey.
You right-wingers all sound alike anyhow. lol