Showing titles in Audio Performances & Dramatizations

Dave Hill (author of Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore, host of The Goddamn Dave Hill Show on WFMU) could probably shred a little death metal if you asked him, but that doesn't make him an expert on death.

[Contains explicit content] A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence is unexpected in a way that causes the listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. Emo Philips is a master of the paraprosdokian and a comedic genius, immediately recognizable for his pageboy haircut and wandering falsetto. Eugene Mirman is the host of Hold On with Eugene Mirman and a master of turning a live storytelling event on its head with his delightful questions and interjections.

[Contains explicit content] Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live, Sasheer Zamata Party Time) went to a Christian elementary school where discipline-by-paddle was a looming threat for ill-behaved students. Reflecting upon the inconsistencies of parochial punishment from an adult's perspective, Sasheer found a lot to question about how and why paddlings were meted out, as you can hear in the story she told for RISK!

[Contains explicit content] Storytelling can bring together people from many different cultures and, at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, it brought together Eugene Mirman and Gad Elmaleh for a special live recording of Hold On. Montreal was a fitting place to hear the tale of Gad's transition from the French tradition of live comedy to a more casual North American stand-up style. It's also fitting that Eugene was on hand to casually interject with thoughtful and funny questions.

[Contains explicit content] Comedian Kurt Braunohler (IFC's Bunk, Audible's Wedlock) once found enlightenment in the oddest of places: an Apple store bathroom. There, the seeds of inspiration were planted in his mind and he decided to take an unconventional break from his (then) long-term relationship. Eugene Mirman sat Kurt down to hear how that unusual plant went and to ask a few burning questions.

[Contains explicit content] They say that cats have nine lives. Well, comedian Chris Fairbanks was lucky enough to share several of those lives with a stray he took in. Chris told a few memorable anecdotes about his feline friend for The Narrators in Denver. On this episode of Hold On, Eugene Mirman breaks out the catnip to learn more about the indelible origin story of Chris' fiery furball companion.

Noted storyteller, author and performer Milbre Burch combines personal stories with folk and fairy tales from around the world in this Grammy-nominated recording (2007). These unforgettable and moving folktales from Russia, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, China, Thailand and beyond remind us that the world is often saved by unlikely heroes (like the hummingbird on its back, ready to do its part to hold up a falling sky), and that healing and hope can come from unlikely sources.

[Contains explicit content] With a baby on the way, Kurt and Lauren get parenting advice from comedian Jim Gaffigan, his wife Jeannie, a group of five year olds and a dog psychic.

[Contains explicit content] Kurt and Lauren talk to a world-famous "camgirl" about cheating and some "close relatives" give them lessons in fidelity.

[Contains explicit content] A Tantric "shaman" teaches Kurt and Lauren a new trick for the bedroom and they talk to a furry about different ways to ask for what you want.

[Contains explicit content] Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show, People of Earth, and Seeso's Night Train with Wyatt Cenac) found an interesting application of the scientific method while volunteering at a science museum: a drunk-driving simulator. Eugene Mirman had Wyatt call a cab to the Hold On studios to talk all the theories and hypotheses his unique experiments in virtual recklessness yielded. Drink a few digital beers and hit the road with Wyatt and Eugene in this very educational episode of Hold On.

[Contains explicit content] Nick Thune doesn't go looking for fights, but fights seem to find him anyway. When they do, though, it's his inability to let some things slide that causes his momentary anger to boil over into small acts of passive-aggression: snarky rejoinders, anonymous notes, and the occasional sarcastic email. Find out which option Nick chose when confronted with an unprofessional doctor in his story live at SF Sketchfest for Porchlight, A Storytelling Series.

[Contains explicit content] Jonah Ray (Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail) is the exact sort of guy you would expect to find working in a record store. You might also expect that 9/11/2001 was not a great day to have to go to work, but what you might not expect is that Jonah's workday had its own unpleasant surprises. Tragedy plus time equals comedy and host Eugene Mirman brought Jonah into the studio to go over his experiences on that infamous day.

[Contains explicit content] When it comes to sex, nothing is harder than talking about sexually transmitted infections. Get it?! And STIs are even more difficult to make funny—look how hard we just tried! But on this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, a bunch of brave souls break the stigma with hilarious STI stories and scenarios. Rob Penty shares a story from RISK! about genital warts, and members of the famous improv troupe The Groundlings conjure up ridiculous STI-ridden, fully-improvised scenes.

[Contains explicit content] Mike Lawrence is an excellent comedic competitor on shows like @Midnight and Roast Battle, but his adversaries on those shows might set their sights on his pre-comedy pursuits for japes and jabs if only they knew...in high school he was big into slam poetry. Thankfully, Eugene Mirman is a friendly fellow who's curiosity trumps any temptation to mock. Mike shared his story of coming up through the slam poetry open mic scene in Florida in a story for RISK!

[Contains explicit content] High school sucks for a lot of people, especially young queer kids trying to survive the blinding storm of pubescent hormones while getting bullied or beat up for things they’re just learning to like. Things like musical theater, or in Dan Bucatinsky's case, the leader of his high school's marching band. On this episode of Hot Mic with Dan Savage, guest Dan Bucatinsky talks with Dan Savage about his not-so-glorious days as an awkward, closeted clarinet player.

Matt Bellassai (author of Everything Is Awful, Buzzfeed's Whine About It) is an internet wunderkind now bursting into old media with his book.

Eugene Mirman ventures once more into the Great White North to hold court over another night of storytelling at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.

[Contains explicit content] Mark Normand doesn't have a filter: in his stand-up he isn't afraid to dip into darker topics and shock laughter out of audiences. When Eugene Mirman brought Mark into the studio to tell a story, it came as no surprise that things went to several dark places: a bad break-up in a tiny apartment, the bottom of a bottle or two, and a homeless shelter.

[Contains explicit content] On this episode of Hold On, host Eugene Mirman sits down with fellow comedian Ken Reid to hear a story about his super-weird neighbor Eddie Murphy -- no, not THAT Eddie Murphy. Eugene asks Ken about being a nosy neighbor, bizarre Halloween traditions, and the effect early exposure to horror movies can have on a kid. Ken originally told his story for the live show RISK! in New York. This one's not for the faint of heart!