American comedian Pete Holmes delivers a warm hug in podcast form…
Despite being pretty much unknown in the UK, Pete Holmes is a veteran of the US comedy scene and his HBO dramedy Crashing has gone from strength to strength over its two seasons. Holmes has taken American comedy out of the playground and on to the therapist’s couch with his ultra sensitive, nice guy persona. Where a large number of male US comics rely on naked aggression and macho posturing, Holmes is more at home talking about his feeling while displaying his puppy dog grin. This easy going approach to comedy is also a perfect fit for the podcast format, being, as it is, basically a couple of people having a chat.
You Made It Weird sees Holmes taking on the best and brightest in popular culture for a deep dive into what makes them tick. Because he comes across as such a nice guy, he manages to pull confessions from even guarded figures, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo for one, which makes for an illuminating and compelling listen. Adam Buxton loves a ramble chat with his guests, but Holmes’ mammoth conversations can sometimes pass the two hour mark. While that won’t be for everyone, the range of guests is so impressive that your favourite podcast episode is probably hidden within the vast library of You Made It Weird episodes as we speak.
Any podcast that can boast guests such as Rivers Cuomo, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Ed Helms is clearly worth catching, and while it is rarely uproariously funny, it is always therapeutic and interesting. Holmes is a comedian who has subverted the competitive world of American comedy to disprove the maxim that nice guys finish last. This podcast is just another string to his already bulging bow. I know that metaphor sounds weird… just go with it.