The Book Club is once again upon us. This time Nate welcomes Dr. Peter Becker who has received his Ph.D. from Harvard’s American Studies Program (History of American Civilization) and holds degrees from Harvard (M.A., English) and Hamburg University (History, Latin, Education) to give a little background on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Then, Engineer Sam Kieffer joins Nate in the studio to get real deep into this great American novel. Make sure to get a head start for the next book club by grabbing A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway and send in your thoughts on the book at readingaloudpodcast@gmail.com.

Legendary professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page joins Randy and Jason on Sklarbro Country’s Wrestling Week. Diamond describes the captivating and intricate history of a professional wrestler and how he helped inspire other wrestlers. He also discusses how his own modified yoga, called DDP yoga, improved his body after years of a physically demanding career. Later, the Sklars call Johnny Depp to ask how he gets into character.

From the creator of the YouTube web series The Mis-adventures of Awkward Black Girl, Issa Rae debuts a 10-part audio drama titled “FRUIT” exclusively for Howl. Listen as a professional football player named X, recounts his journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration both on and off the field. FRUIT chronicles X’s relationship with his friends, teammates and family as they impose their own perceptions of his role in an alpha-male dominated industry of professional sports. 

In Episode 3, After much hesitation about which direction to take, X decides to finally make a move.

To hear the rest of the story, told week-by-week, sign up for Howl Premium today. Use the promo code FRUIT at Howl.fm, and get your first month free.

Recorded LIVE from the 2016 RIOT LA Festival is The Room Podcast with your hosts Jennifer (Mary Holland), Camellia (Erin Whitehead), and Girl (Stephanie Allynne). Over time they have grown to know each other as they have been captured and kept in a room. Today they meet a new person in the room by the name of Pill and talk about what has been going on in the outside world, the most devastating secret in their life, and how they each got captured. Will they be able to find a way to escape? Tune in to find out!

Photo by Andy Keilen (@keilenphotography on Instagram)

Andrew Ti and special guest Demi Adejuyigbe finish the week off by discussing Black History Month. As always, leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Larry Birdman is in town for a meeting to have a meeting to form a panel to change some Mittens rules and he stops by the podcast to discuss the Mittens Super Calvalcade Part 1.

Credits

Arnie: Arnie Niekamp
Chunt: Adal Rifai
Usidore: Matt Young
Larry Birdman: Rush Howell
Blemish: Martin Wilson
Mysterious Man: Tim Sniffen
Craig: Ryan DiGiorgi

Producers: Arnie Niekamp, Evan Jacover, Ryan DiGiorgi
Editor: Evan Jacover
Theme Music: Andy Poland
Magic Tavern Logo: Allard Laban

Sponsored by: Emporium via The Chicago Podcast Cooperative

Special guest Dr. Melissa Hudson Bell joins her husband Kamau and Kevin this week to talk about “The Sound of Silence,” the Denzel Washington directed episode of Grey’s Anatomy. They’ll also share stories of Kevin’s dating life and Melissa’s Top 5 Denzel Movies.

Comedian Beth Stelling joins Susan and Sarah to speak candidly about the aftermath of an abusive relationship, Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek,” The Wrestler, and W. H. Auden’s poem, “Funeral Blues.”

On this week’s episode of The Black List Table Reads, Franklin chats with Kristina Lauren Anderson, screenwriter of Forever Jiayang, 1937 and the No. 1 script on the 2014 Black List, Catherine the Great. They’ll discuss Kristina’s transition from quiet theater kid to writer, the importance of research, and how did Catherine happen. Then, Franklin chats with Isaac Adamson, screenwriter of the No. 1 script on the 2015 Black List, Bubbles. They’ll discuss his fiction writing career, his transition into script writing, and what on Earth led him to write a biopic about Michael Jackson’s chimp Bubbles. LA: Join us for the first live, staged reading of 2016 featuring the 2015 Black List script REAGAN, Written and Directed by Mike Rosolio on Saturday, March 5th at 8:00pm at The Montalban Theater and starring JOHN CHO and LENA DUNHAM. Go to https://blcklst.com/ for tickets.

Paul Rust, Mookie Blaiklock and Craig Rowin join Matt Besser on improv4humans this week. They improvise about losing track of time before attending a clock expo and loyal customers who dislike a restaurant’s bizarre new staff. Also, valet drivers go out of their way to cover up locking keys in a car. Later, potential tenants pretend to be Christian to win over an extremely Christian landlord. Sign up for Seeso.com to watch Besser’s new stand-up special “Besser Breaks the Record” and “The UCB Show,” which were filmed live in UCBLA.

The bolo gets trollo’ed once again! Ben Schwartz aka The Elegant Mr. S of House of Pies reunites with Scott for a SOLO BOLO episode of Comedy Bang! Bang! They’ll talk Hamilton, sneakers, and most importantly sing their little hearts out. It’s truly a Trolo Solo Bolo for the ages!

Follow @ScottAukerman on Twitter for info on the CBB 2016 LIVE Tour!

Cleaning up with Richard Kind.

Just before The Wolf Den hits its 100th episode milestone, Adam takes a brief listen back to relive some highlights in what’s been an exciting six years in the evolution and growth of Midroll, and podcasting. Adam shares early clips from podcast innovators like Marc Maron and Chris Hardwick, along with entrepreneurs who were influential behind the scenes. We also listen in on some of the important milestones in podcasting and Midroll history, as heard on the show, and get some keen insights on podcasting from hosts like Paul Scheer, Matt Gourley, Paul F. Tompkins, Lea Thau, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. 

Stephen and James make their first attempts at live stand up comedy on today’s third and final installment from our ‘Question of the Day Live!’ event. Topics include house cats, Stephen’s failed jingle writing career, parenthood, Sean Penn, cream cheese, and much more! 

Demi Adejuyigbe and Andrew talk about a Chinese restaurant called “Takee Outee.” Make sure to leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Join Casey, Danielle and fellow Real Housewife historian Leslie Grossman (Scandal) as they dive into awkward house-husband side-bars, another sad Eileen ensemble, and the quiet anger of Mr. Girardi. Also, Leslie reminisces fondly about classic Kim and Kyle fights and Casey and Danielle call for Vicki (RHOC) to “ándale” out of her new relationship.

Producer extraordinaire Sunny Levine joins Jensen and Matty to talk about The Trilambs, Sunny’s new album “Boss Selection,” getting up OFF David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” saying “it’s just easy,” hating on The Hobbit Trilogy, Zanerobe pants, the conversation with a stranger when your dog runs into another dog on a walk, and how we were dead wrong about Tower Defense games, growing a beard, and high voices in Pop songs.

Part Two of the Three Part Spielberg-Aganza-Palooza continues with a discussion of 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Martin Casella once again joins Matt to talk about his experience as Steven Spielberg’s assistant on the film. Martin provides some wonderful insight on what went on behind the scenes including the origin of Marion’s famous dress, Spielberg’s must-see-TV habits, and what lead to the inception of E.T. Plus, Matt’s companion from the Superego podcast, Jeremy Carter, joins him to talk about the iconic Indiana Jones jacket and his own personal quest to find the perfect fit in a new segment called ‘I Was Wear Too.’

Lenny Abrahamson, director of the critically acclaimed Room, which earned Brie Larson an Oscar nomination, joins Leonard, Baron, and Jessie to talk about the letter he wrote to persuade novelist Emma Donoghue to adapt it for the screen, his love of Laurel & Hardy, and one of his favorite sleepers, Margaret (2011) with Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, and Mark Ruffalo.

What it’s like to be a mom with the rare job combo of both delivering babies and terminating pregnancies.

To join the conversation about this episode, go to longestshortesttime.com!

Today, in our second ‘Question of the Day Live!’ podcast, moderator Negin Farsad asks Stephen and James about the best ways to make friends as an adult, what fads they’d like to see return, and what ceremonial rites of passage should be eliminated. Then, we hear how our hosts held up to Negin’s rapid-fire ‘lightning round’ questions.

Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ co-star Mandell Maughan joins Kulap and Howard on this week’s Who Charted? The Top 5 Songs on iTunes chart inspires conversations about flossing in line and how Sean Connery would speak Spanish. Later, a discussion about unboxing gifts videos and an unsurprisingly brief game of “Jaws is Better” occur during the Top 5 Movies chart. Kulap, H. Michael Kre and Ziggy Stard talk about directing B$P and annoyingly complicated video games during Two Charted.

Demi Adejuyigbe and Andrew talk about adding the selection of race for emojis. Make sure to leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.

Jonathan sits down with Academy Award nominated film director Courtney Marsh. He wants to find out more about the chemical Agent Orange and about Chau, the subject of Courtney’s documentary short, Chau: Beyond the Lines. The film profiles Chau, a teenager living in a Vietnamese care center for young people disabled by Agent Orange, struggling with the reality of his dream to one day become a professional artist.

Once in a while a youthful unicorn saunters through the studio doors. Charlie Malta aka The Guice Mann is that unicorn. Charlie joins Deanna & Emily to talk about how he became the man behind the special Earwolf and Wolfpop shoes that can be seen in the studio, take us through a week in the life of his glorious red hair, and give advice to other young artists out there. Check out all of Charlie’s extraordinary work over at www.guicemann.com!

The next movie is going to be a doozy and will focus on a special kind of witch. This week Paul goes through Corrections and Omissions for The Apple and recommends a podcast you should probably give a listen to in another edition Paul’s Pick of the Week. Plus, Paul reminisces about the first bad movie he remembers seeing in a theater as he answers your Qs!

Don’t forget to check out Blake Harris’ Oral History of The Apple over at www.slashfilm.com!

Get yourself a BB-8 “What Is Its Mission?” T-shirt or Tote Bag over at http://howdidthisgetmade.bigcartel.com/

People of the internet: Watch Paul and Jason star alongside Johnny Depp as Donald Trump in “Funny Or Die Presents Donald Trump’s The Art Of The Deal: The Movie” here: http://ear.wf/1RIqbHE and watch Paul in Fresh off the Boat on ABC. Awhile ago, Paul and Rob Huebel did a comedy special on a 60 foot glass bus that traveled around LA. Now you’ll be able to see it. Go to https://itun.es/us/3M4J9 now to buy it! You can also see Jason in Transparent on Amazon and in Dirty Grandpa in a theater near you! Also, check out June in Grace and Frankie available on Netflix, and in all the episodes of NTSF:SD:SUV:: on HULU for free, and Jason in The Dictator (he’s still in it!).

Today we present the first of three installments from our ‘Question of the Day Live!’ event held in January. On today’s episode, James and Stephen try to decipher why billionaires won’t take a break to sit on the couch and watch TV, then they formulate the best ways for employers to motivate employees.

Randy and Jason talk to professional wrestler Colt Cabana on this week’s Sklarbro County. They discuss wrestling in other countries and the similarities between comedy and wrestling. Daniel Van Kirk’s crazy stories include an alligator that got thrown through a Wendy’s drive-thru window and the real life “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” story. Later, Colt describes how he connects with fans and audience members during a wrestling match. Stone Cold Steve Austin drops by the studio and breaks down the fistfight he got into with a fly and promotes his new beer.

Hayes and Sean immediately start having a conversation with MARIA THAYER where they offer romantic advice to the listeners and get some of their own as well.

Demi Adejuyigbe and Andrew talk about whether Tatooine in Star Wars is racist or not. Make sure to leave us a message about anything you think is racist at (323) 389-RACE.