Food and drink cleanses aren’t just for fancy starlets and insecure Midwestern moms. Listener Kristen wants to know what cleanse is right for her, and Bob has all the answers she needs!

If you haven’t asked yourself this question yet, you will after listening to this episode! Part political activist, part social media innovator, and one-hundred-percent hilarious, Baratunde joins Jeff this week to discuss the evolution of entertainment platforms, the creative mindset, and the power of The Thank You Economy. This is a guy who is funny enough to work for The Onion, but is sincere and thoughtful enough to create of one of the only non-ironic or cat-based “viral videos” that I can think of! When you’re done listening, go to Baratunde’s website to learn about the million other things he’s created that we didn’t have time to address.

Take a summer of mediocre movies, combine it with the death of a legendary actress, and heat it up in the July sun and you get this: An episode of Glitter in the Garbage that has Drew, Scott and Eileen giving each other sex advice, work out tips, financial advising, and homemade business cards made out of lent! It gets pushy, sweaty, sexy, embarrassing, and most important, hilarious. Enjoy!

You came here for daily affirmations and that is exactly what you’ll get! You can walk away from today’s episode with a bevy of positive statements to get you through the rest of the week!

We started the competition with ten podcasts and after today we will have whittled it down to five. Hear how the chat shows fare and if the sketch shows proved themselves in today’s elimination episode. Leave your comments here on the forum and on our Facebook page.

Is there anyone more fascinating than Ben Garant? We all know about his success as a screenwriter and sketch comedian, but did you know about his impressive toy collection or his amazing charitable past? A guest this chill and easygoing only deserves the best, and he gets it with the ultra chill, hazy Alternative Albums Chart. This Hollywood insider brings his master screenwriter expertise to the Movie Chart and builds an immediate rapport with Hermes the Chart Goose. Learn about Ben’s odd adolescence and Howard’s cure for homophobia on this thrilling episode of Who Charted?!

Bob was recently the recipient of some emotional and physical bruising. And what do we do when we are hurt? We write poetry! Enjoy!

Maybe the most important message Bob has for you all is the message of Highest Self. I honestly can’t express enough just how important it is that he get this point across to all of you. You cannot miss this episode!

You might call this episode verbose, perhaps even bombastic. You might find yourself wayward in the expanse of grammar and syntax. We’re talking about talking this week on Professor Blastoff and our guest is our old friend from the Evolution episode, Dr. Martin Cohen. Learn what distinguishes “meaningful utterances” and how language has evolved through the course of human history. Enjoy, dig in, relish, savor, and luxuriate in it!

Our guest judges for the week are Tig Notaro and Seth Morris. Seth has written, performed, and directed many a sketch show at the UCB Theatre, and while Tig isn’t a sketch comic herself, her podcast Professor Blastoff includes weekly sketches. Will any submission make these two judges laugh out loud? Listen to find out, and join us tomorrow as we eliminate our fifth competitor!

Got a case of the Mondays? Start your week off on a positive note with a workplace-specific guided meditation courtesy of Bob Ducca. And just to show that you aren’t alone in your anxieties, he’ll join you!

Since our last episode with Patton Oswalt was so rudely interrupted, we have asked him back on to discuss his upcoming special, Finest Hour. Unfortunately, in true Comedy Bang Bang fashion we receive an unexpected visit from a stranger so strange I can’t even begin to describe who he is, what he does, or how he got to the studio. Our apologies to Patton Oswalt purists: We promise (but cannot guarantee) to have him back soon on a far less gassy episode.

Given the success of podcasts like Superego, The Pod F. Tompkast, and The Thrilling Adventure Hour, we asked our contestants to try writing and performing sketches. In today’s coaching session you’ll hear what Matt, a venerable sketch comedy innovator, thinks of the popularity of “meta sketches” and what advice he has for all the non-sketch competitors. See who comes out on top tomorrow when Matt is joined by Tig Notaro and Seth Morris.

It gets a little hot, sticky, scratchy, and itchy in the studio this week as The Apple Sisters bring you an important message about venereal disease. We’re joined by the VD players who help us act out some public service announcements and accompany us into a particularly silly Mail Room. If you or “your friend” suffers from a sexually transmitted disease, listen in!

SUGAR RAY LEONARD! Yes, THEE Sugar Ray Leonard! He’s won world titles, he’s held high honors (“Fighter of the Year”), and he’s joining KPCS. If he can handle 12 rounds of boxing, he can handle a few T5’s!

You know him from Drunk History and The Thrilling Adventure Hour amongst other things – actor MARK GAGLIARDI came over and charmed our socks off! Which means that he smelled our stinky feet, but he was totally okay with it – that’s just the kind of great guy that he is. Enjoy!

Compression hose. There, I said it! With all the stigma and negativity attached to these medical garments it can be hard to find help. Listener Glen came to the right place and Bob is more than ready to expel the rumors and get to the cold hard facts! Best of luck Glen!

This episode has been approved for all audiences. If you are old enough to play soccer in The Netherlands, or even Spain, you will enjoy this show. All potential streakers have been asked to clothe themselves and any professional boxers will be put in jail if they display profane gestures. Our guest is Brian Posehn, a father and honorary Juggalo, who discusses his two-year-old baby and shares the harrowing tales of his youthful indiscretions. Our hip young listeners will even get an educational rap if they listen long enough! So put down your gameboys and walkmen and pick up Sklarbro Country. Hey, it’s better for kids than some charity golf tournaments!

The Wolf Den is finally back! In exchange for the several week absence, we have a great episode for you all featuring Jeff Rubin of Collegehumor, Nerd Alert, The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show and more. He explains the complicated (yet awesome) science of “enhanced podcasts” and sheds light on the podcasting community on the east coast. There is an economy lesson stuffed in here as well regarding the expenses and complications of selling tee shirts. Sorry once again for the break, and enjoy!

Feeling stopped up? You won’t be for long if you take Bob’s advice! Yep, it’s another product review and this week it’s for the wildly popular Neilmed NasaFlo Neti Pot Sinus Rinse. And while the name says it all, I think you’d all be wise to listen to Bob’s advice on how to use this powerful tool.

Oh, the delightful freaks of Hollywood. How we adore them. From the overzealous extras to the barely civilized film composers, we salute you. You who are haunted, sometimes literally, by the embarrassing stories relived at auditions: This episode is for you. Someday you’ll be sitting at the pharmacy wondering where your life (and hair) went and we want you to have this episode to remember us by. Drew, Tim, and Jim feel for you and love you…just don’t talk to them if you are ever on set with them.

Once again, Who Charted? welcomes Earwolf brethren into the orchard with Paul Scheer, host of How Did This Get Made? and star of NTSF: SD: SUV::. Our music chart is Billboard’s Biggest Jumpers and features one of our favorite summah anthems. We’ve got a great game in store, but HDTGM listeners will be pleased to hear who shows up on the movie chart. Check out the web-only bonus chart (summah lovahs only!) and don’t miss out on the I Heal With My Steel video contest!

We don’t love doing it, but we have to eliminate yet another podcast. Matt, Howard, and Marc call the three lowest performing shows and one must leave. Keep up with our eliminated contestants on the Earwolf blog, and join in on the discussion on our forums.

We have received countless letters from listeners needing advice for their vision quests and other drug-induced religious experiences. This episode is dedicated to listener John P. but I think we’ll have all learned a thing or two about spirit wolves once it’s done.

Tig, Kyle, and David are all healthy adults, but why? Was it because they avoided fast food as kids, because they went around catching lizards in the desert, or was it something genetic? Our guest this week is Mo Hassanein, a PHD student who serves as our resident expert on childhood obesity. Learn about fat distribution, the difference between sucrose and fructose, and why it is important to keep kids healthy from a young age. And yes, there will be riddles. Enjoy!

This week Paul F. Tompkins joins Jason, June and Paul to breakdown the 2011 kid’s movie The Smurfs. They discuss the unnecessarily smurf-complicated language, the awkward casting, and ponder “was Azrael the cat the best actor in this movie?” and Paul introduces the first ever Second Opinions segment! If you’ve got a child’s heart, or had to drag your children to see this movie, you’ll enjoy this episode!

Affirmation Nation is by no means sponsored by The Learning Annex (they’ve actually asked that we refrain from mentioning them henceforth), but that won’t stop Bob from loving them! Today Bob offers up some of his favorite classes and I’m willing to bet that one of them will sound good to you!

Marc Maron and Howard Kremer both use guests in a unique way on their podcasts. Let’s hear what they think of our seven remaining challengers. With the competition thinning out we have longer submissions to judge and harsher critiques for the remaining shows. Hear who did the most poorly tomorrow on our elimination show.

Harris Wittels and Scott Aukerman are comedians, music lovers, and most importantly friends. Where do they differ? Harris loves Phish, and Scott couldn’t care less. On Analyze Phish, Harris carefully navigates the vast landscape of Phish’s catalogue to find possible entry points for Scott while trying to explain the live Phish experience without the use of illegal substances. Will he succeed? You’ll have to listen to find out!