7 Podcast Segments That Are Just Great
Podcast segments are the sprinkles on top of the cupcake that is a podcast episode. They often involve the creators of the podcast indulging in something they can’t incorporate into the main show. Maybe it’s a relaxing break from an otherwise hectic show, or a chance to delve deeper into the already indulgent subject of the core show. They can be separate from the main show’s format, becoming something different and surprising. At the very least, a segment can just be a part of the show where the hosts don’t have to hold themselves to any of the guidelines they set in the rest of the show and just do whatever they want.
These are the segments of shows that just sort of pop out and make my heart happy, especially the ones that aren’t always in every episode. I’ll admit that I may have stretched the meaning of the word “segment” a little bit when choosing these, but in general they are parts of the podcast that feel somewhat separate from the core of the show.
My Brother My Brother and Me – “Munch Squad”
While there are plenty of different eccentric segments that pop up on My Brother My Brother and Me, Munch Squad stands out from the rest because of how out of nowhere it can be. It’s always a surprise to everyone except Justin, who can jump right into it in the middle of a question with one of the more iconic theme songs in podcasting. Munch Squad is just Juice telling everyone about new in the food industry and the marketing copy that goes along with it. It’s dumb. The listeners know this, the brothers know this, but the companies don’t, or at the very least are unable to acknowledge it. I love seeing marketing copy tackle products nobody asked for, since you get to see these companies tell you how they’re justifying a demand that just doesn’t exist. Nobody asked for donut fries or a black bun burger, but don’t worry, fast food’s got you covered.
It’s also one of the only segments on this list that has a bit of a spiritual spinoff in The Empty Bowl, show where Justin and cereal blogger Dan Goubert. Have a relaxing chat about developments in the cereal industry.
Honorary Mention: Haunted Doll Watch. I love learning about the weirdly specific ghost stories connected to these haunted dolls. However, Haunted Doll Watch provides a just a chunk of ridiculous spookiness in the world, while Munch Squad shows us the steps the food industry will be taking in our upcoming corporate dystopia.
Also it’s funny.
NeoScum – “Interlude”
Regardless of how much planning the game master puts into creating the world and events a game is set in or how much work the layers put into creating interesting player characters, the appeal of an actual play podcast can often comes down to chemistry of the people at the table. Right when you listen to NeoScum, you can tell that the hosts have an instant chemistry with each other, willing to go on bits both in-world and out-of-world, and this really shines in the breaks in the middle of the podcast. A lot of podcasts have middle breaks for ad reads and announcements, but there always something weird and sporadic about the ones in NeoScum. Instead of just one person being there to get the ad reads out of the way, the entire cast is present and care barely stay focused enough to get news out of the way. In one episode, some of the players kept playing an “Old Greg” soundboard, and later found a NeoScum soundboard to play. In one of the more recent episodes, Elani gave Casey a haircut while they were doing the interlude without any hair-cutting experience. Casey isn’t afraid of editing stuff in the interlude in order to enhance jokes. There was a really dumb, off the cuff joke in a recent announcement episode that was amplified when Casey, well, amplified Mike’s voice at a certain moment and it just broke me. If NeoScum were a chocolate chip cookie, the interlude would be that moment while baking them where you just each a handful of chocolate chips. It’s the essence of what makes it special, distilled into one attempted ad read.
Honorary Mention: The PPs. I couldn’t really go into this as it’s own segments because a) I don’t know if it counts as a running gag or a segment and b) I have no idea how to explain PPs out of context. It’s just nonsense with an incredibly expanded lore, which is exactly the kind of nonsense I love.
Hello From the Magic Tavern – Space Bunker”
Framing devices are a useful tool for many podcasts. For Hello from the Magic Tavern, their framing device was that of a mysterious man voiced by Tim Sniffen reminding the audience that the podcast wasn’t real. What started as a fun way to poke fun at the actors and do advertisements and show announcements quickly evolved into a science fiction bunker subplot full of disposable clones, robot overlords and office politics. It stands on the other end of the the questions about interdimensional space that likely aren’t going to be answered by the main show’s hosts, much to the relief and frustration of the residents of the Space Bunker. This segment is also a chance for the creators of the show to get a little more scripted with their otherwise mostly-improvised content, and it’s clear how excited they get when they close in on making major changes to the general formula of these bits. It’s always nice to get peek into what is essentially a sillier version of Wolf 359 with the same pace of plot development as, well, Hello from the Magic Tavern.
At this point, Adal Raffi and Matt Young are arguably the most roasted men in the podcasting medium.
Join the Party -“Midroll”
You’re listening to a well-edited, well-played actual play podcast with people you enjoy listening to, and the inevitable ad break comes. You prep your finger over the 15 second button ready to jump right through it, but then one of the people on the show tells you something nice. Maybe it’s about the smell of freshly cleaned sheets or that feeling when you find a nice place to read. Sometimes it’s just the game master nerding out about the new Smash Brothers, which is nice because you’re nerding out about it too. It’s a nice pick-me-up, because even if you weren’t down , you can always do with one. This is the Midroll.
That’s what it’s called in the podcast, and it’s also the middle of the article.
Off-Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast – “Audience Feedback”
The riskiest thing about improv is relying on audience members to commit to a bit along with the performers. They can trust who they’re on stage with, but the audience can sometimes be a little more finicky. That said, I love the audiences of the Off-Book live shows. After spending about 30-40 minutes performing an improvised musical, Zach and Jess tell the audience that they just saw a full production of the show and that they were now in a feedback session with the cast and crew of the show. The audience just immediately accepts this and asks the best sort of questions for the performers to work off of. The audience members are often savvy enough to know the ins and outs of musical theatre and know the exact sort of questions to expand on the ridiculousness of the brand new musical they just listened to. Did the musical involve sing fish? A audience member will ask how they manage to sing inside that tank of water. Is there a named celebrity in the musical? The audience will ask how the crew got them to agree to play themself in the show. Odds are there are a few flubs that get cut out through editing, but the community built around this show is fantastic. It’s the perfect segment for people who love musicals, improv and podcasts (which is a deceptively large group.)
HORSE– “3-on-3“
HORSE, as a sports podcast, is interesting because I believe that a majority of the listeners aren’t basketball fans. For those who are, I’m really happy you have this podcast in your lives. The show takes away the stats and games of the sport and instead sheds a light on the culture surrounding basketball. Mike and Eric look at weird things currently happening in basketball and weird things that actually happened in the past. The segment that always stands out, however, is 3-on-3, where one of the hosts creates a top three list and a bottom three list regarding something related to basketball. The thing that makes this segment stand out is that the categories are usually crazy surprises. My personal favorite was a breakdown of the top and bottom three moments of the High School Musical song “Get Your Head in the Game.” A more recent one analyzed the top three most reasonably expensive items in the NBA store and the top 3 just-not-worth-it items. 3-on-3 always provides a pleasant look at the history of a sport I have absolutely no interest in watching, but am fascinated to learn more about.
Womp It Up – “Listler’s Love Lockdown”
Womp It Up is a spinoff of Comedy Bang Bang, focusing on high schooler Marissa Wompler and her mentor Charlotte Listler as they interview the unique population of Marina Del Rey for her senior project. If this sounds simple and approachable, don’t worry, it isn’t. The show is full of expanding storylines, inscrutable in-jokes, and leaps in logic. It is still an improvised show, but the amount of lore the performers have to keep up with rivals Hello From the Magic Tavern. This is all to say that people who are into the show are all in. The community surrounding the show is special because they all follow the show’s guiding theme of living your #authentic life.
It’s necessary to know about the show and it’s community to understand how remarkable Listler’s Love Lockdown is. What started as a segment for the hosts to give questionable love advice quickly became something more, well, #authentic. Without breaking character, the hosts take genuinely serious listener submitted questions asking for advice not just about their love lives, but on how to live their best, true lives. This segment is wonderful because it shows the host reaching out to their fans. They don’t claim to be experts, but they are there to listen. There are probably other love advice podcasts out there that give you more direct dating and life advice, but I doubt any of them have around 45 minutes of bizarre character improv before getting into the real stuff.
These are just a few of my favorite segments in a few different podcasts. There are definitely others that I didn’t include since I couldn’t word it properly, but I just love the clear amount of joy these segments give people. If there are any specific sections in podcasts that you like, feel free to share them!
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