This week’s podcast is The Champs! A very different show, hosted by Neal Brennan (co-creator of The Chappelle show), Moshe Kasher (comedian and writer) and DJ Douggpound (of the Tim and Eric Show). Each week they host a black guest and have a mildly aggressive conversation.
This podcast should firstly be applauded for an admirable attempt to create a point of difference within a slightly repetitive and homogenous market. In a podcast universe where the casts are almost exclusively white male, and take the ‘let’s just record a conversation’ mantra. So ‘The Champs’ pursuance of both harder topics and almost exclusively black guests, allied with DJ Douggpound’s sound effects, really shines without comparison, and shines even brighter within the prevailing culture.
Moshe Kasher
Moshe Kasher is quite often the one who most openly pursues laughter. Even when he is discussing a deeper topic, he will switch track briefly to make a quick joke or do some sharp wordplay, before returning to the point at hand. With his incredible life so far, his perspective and the ability to switch between light hearted joke-offs and more considered conversation, he brings a genuinely different aspect to hosting.
Neal Brennan is a slightly more serious chap. Most episodes find him driving the podcast into rabbit holes, or bringing up tougher subjects for the discussion. He also seems to enjoy cutting to the quick with guests, talking about their darker desires, controversies or pasts. Despite their similarity in voice (and for a couple of episodes it’s difficult to distinguish their accents) Moshe and Neal have a difference in tone that distinguishes them, and really leads to both an interesting ‘back and forth’ interview style, and one that takes tangents which other podcasts might either shirk from or childishly overplay.
Neal Brennan
The final member of the trilogy is the altogether more mysterious and intriguingly unusual DJ Douggpound. Known for being an editor and composer for the Tim and Eric show, and as a live act encompassing stand up sound effects and musical aspects, he brings a very interesting and apparently divisive aspect to the show: his drops. His sound effects, clips and general recorded noises bring another rare aspect to the show. It provides it with a kind of ‘Morning Zoo’ type feel, but one that is decidedly after hours. They add an energy and style to the podcast that both pursues and finds the variation that is needed to distinguish a new show. At times, the drops are a little out of time, emerging a few seconds late, or lasting a little too long, or being ignored by the speakers. But Doug certainly seems to be timing the drops better, and more effectively employing them, and I certainly wouldn’t take them out of the show. At their best, they add such a humour and energy to the show that really makes it at odds with its competition, and difference is always exciting.
The content too is a great mix of light and shade. Conversations switch from sex to religion to comedy to race to anywhere else they seek, and importantly, always with an interesting perspective. They have a great chemistry as a threesome, such that allows them to, even when disagreeing (as is frequent), they still continue the conversation in intriguing directions. And even when it starts to stray a little too far, they are smart and able enough to right the ship before it’s floated too off course. As if to match the co-hosts symbiotic, interwoven vibe, the guests also verge right across the cultural spectrum. They vary from sports figures (Blake Griffin), comedians and actors (JB Smoove, Craig Robinson, Wayne Brady) to simply interesting media figures (Flying Lotus, Lexington Steele). This variation continues to add to the shows theme of difference and abnormality. Rather than restricting themselves to black comics, they trust in characters like Blake Griffin or Lexington Steele to still be interesting and funny enough to retain the listeners interest. This lack of obsession with only offering up people who are ‘funny’ highlights another key point of divergence, these people are interesting, not always looking for laughs or to divert the conversation into their jokes. Though honestly, the comics themselves rarely do this either, their candour breathing further vivacity into the show.
Recently they have had a couple of guests who aren’t black: comedian Bobby Lee and former adult film star Sasha Grey. And this is seems a strange point of divergence for them to have. Having bred themselves on a culture of an exclusively black guest list, this inclusion puts both a reviewer, the podcast and it’s fans in a mildly odd place. Especially due to the decidedly LA and white male comic based world of market podcasting. From a fans point of view, this can be seen as selling out, or giving up on a unique culture that people have quickly grown to love. From the podcasts perspective, it is growing, and growth is always a difficult process for a podcast, or anything, as alienating fans is no way to gain more. Lastly, for a reviewer, one must consider the level of interest, intrigue, humour and entertainment (essentially good podcasting) that these guests offer. Personally, I found both guests utterly fascinating characters, who spawned some of the best discussion on the show, and that both the guests brought on who do not fit into the initial modus operandi of the show are still people sidelined in the world of podcasting. Even as the numbers of both female podcasters and female podcast guests increase, they are still a hearty minority, be these comedy podcasts or otherwise; and the same goes for Asian guests. This reviewer feels that podcasts should be an inclusive medium, pursuing an ‘all invited’ ideal, rather than making it just a forum for white comics, and that bringing in anyone of an even vaguely different background to oneself is vital to a shows continued excellence. Particularly in the face of potential repetition and the simple fact that the world is full of different people of races and genders. Lastly, and whilst this could be considered a mild point of vanity, I personally find it far more interesting to hear from characters unusual to podcasts than to hear from the same community of white LA comedians in various combinations.
The Champs is a real piece of sweet relief. From its approach to its bookings, its sound effects, through to the interviews themselves. Douggpound’s drops, Neal’s probing, Moshe’s humour… they all bring their unique aspects to the show, and really make it something very special. It is truly a podcast of difference, and one really striving for both brilliance and speciality in a community that seems to, as it expands, become ever more introverted.
You can find the podcast over in that iTunes place or at www.TheChampsYo.com. They’re also on twitter @thechampsyo or individually as @nealbrennan, @moshekasher and @douggpound. Go listen, I implore you.