June Podcast Pick: Judge John Hodgman

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The Skewed Review is independent and does not receive
 endorsements. The creators of "Judge John Hodgman" have
 not contacted, nor have been contacted by,
 The Skewed Review editorial staff. This review is
 the opinion of TSR's writers and is not a
 paid promotion. Those interested in listening to
 "Judge John Hodgman" can click the photo
to be taken to its iTunes listing.

So, you watch Comedy Central to get your news, you say? Then you're most likely familiar with one John Hodgman, of "The Daily Show" fame.

And you say you're a fan of "Judge Judy?" What's wrong with you??

In our second consecutive Maximum Fun podcast pick, we'd like to highlight this shimmering beacon of fake courtroom fun: Judge John Hodgman.

Like Judy, John hears ridiculous cases from neurotic laymen and rules in favor of some asinine  premise (like whether or not to kill a house full of bats or if bad movies should be shown during a "bad movie" get together).

Unlike Judy, John's rulings have absolutely no legal standing and there's zero enforcement of his decisions. That being said, it sure is awesome to hear people bring disputes to Judge H. like what constitutes a certain star rating on a personal list of movies, and should girlfriends be allowed to partake in a local mud run.

The best parts of the podcast happen when John Hodgman legitimately laughs at something. You'll hear it coming. It will sound like this and will usually be prompted by bailiff Jesse Thorn:

Jesse: ...if he knows how to tie a bow tie correctly!

Silence...

John: ..... HA!

The amount of pretentious hipsters that manage to get on air are reason enough to listen. So go. Go listen to a few episodes. And please feel free to leave suggestions for podcasts in the comments section below!

April Podcast Pick: 'Throwing Shade'

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The Skewed Review is independent and does not receive 
endorsements. The creators of "Throwing Shade" have
 notcontacted, nor have been contacted by, 
The SkewedReview editorial staff. This review is 
the opinion of TSR's writers and is not a 
paid promotion. Those interested inlistening to 
"Throwing Shade" can click the photo to be
taken to its iTunes listing.

If feminism and gay activism hooked up and had a child with A.D.H.D. and Tourette's syndrome, that baby would be "Throwing Shade."

How do I describe something as horrible and wonderful as "Throwing Shade?" There's no way I can do it justice through words. You must, must download a few episodes and listen for yourself.

You know that friend you have who needs to be wrangled all the time? You know who I'm talking about. It's that person who goes into theatrics over every little thing because he or she thinks it's entertaining. And there's always someone around to say, "OK, calm down now."

Well, "Homosensual" Bryan Safi (remember him from "That's Gay?" ...Yeah, me neither) is that person. He is wholly out of control, and I love it.

But you'd better believe when it's time for someone to jump in and tell Safi to settle down, you can bet your butt plug that "Feminasty" Erin Gibson will, well, do the exact opposite.

The two play so well together, and they fuel each other's flames. How on earth have I gotten this far in the article without mentioning what the podcast is actually about? Jesus, it's like Erin and Bryan are rubbing off on me.

So Gibson and Safi break down the week's news that pertains to "ladies and gays." When DOMA pops up and Republican politicians start ranting about "legitimate rape," the "Throwing Shade" duo is there to tell us why it sucks, and probably how to suck, and what sucking will get you, and how much the going rate per hour is for sucking, and then some other tangent.

This podcast gets five out of five Fabutrashes. It's hands-down my favorite podcast I've ever found. So go give them some love.

March Podcast Pick: Risk! True Tales Boldly Told

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"The Skewed Review" is independent and does not
receive endorsements. The creators of "Risk" have not
contacted, nor been contacted by, The Skewed Review
editorial staff. This review is the opinion of TSR's
writers and is not a paid promotion. Those interested
in listening to "Risk!" can click the photo to be
taken to its iTunes listing.

You know that story about the time you did that thing to that person in that place?

You know, that story. It's the story you wouldn't tell your best friend because it's that embarrassing. Or maybe it's a story that brings up so much emotion that you can't bring yourself to tell someone else. Or maybe it's a story that you just don't think anyone else would be interested in.

No matter how bizarre your life experiences are, there's always someone who experiences something equally as unusual. That's why I've found a new love in the form of the podcast, "RISK! True tales, boldly told."

This podcast, part of MaximumFun.org's lineup, features a collection of different people telling funny, creepy, awe-inspiring, awkward, explicit and often x-rated true stories.

It's sort of like "This American Life" on NPR, only 10 times better because the storytellers actually swear and go into seriously graphic details when it comes to sexual exploitations.

Before I really started listening to this podcast, I assumed it would be a lot of recounting of life experiences that would make my drug- and sex-addled life tame in comparison. But in all actuality, it just made me realize that we all share similar journeys.

Of all the odd stories I've listened to, I've been able to relate to almost every single one.

This podcast offers a wide array of emotions in every episode. While you can expect to hear some seriously hilarious stuff, be forewarned that there's emotional anecdotes, too. You could be laughing your ass off at one moment and then choking back tears the next.

I think this is the most humanizing podcast I've ever listened to. I definitely recommend you listen to just a few episodes. Look for the "Live At" episodes; they're the ones that will make you laugh the most. The "Best Of" episodes are a great springboard into the series, as well.

I'm rating "Risk! True Tales Boldly Told" with four out of five FABS for being not only hilarious, but also for bringing reality to the podcasting realm in a way that makes me feel like a normal person.