(Catching up on this thread)tragabigzanda wrote:Just saw this thread. Not gonna read the whole thing, but I am shocked at the love in the first couple pages for The Nerdist. Chris Hardwick is a fucking CHOAD. He rambles ON and ON before getting to some sort of vaguely stated question; he seems really impressed with his own marginal success; and he doesn't know how to properly mic an interview -- some of the worst audio quality I've heard on a big name podcast. I would easily put him towards the top of my list of Most Annoying Famous People (below Rosie O'Donnell, but above Kanye West). I'll only listen if the guest is a must-hear.
(...)
And I'm not done shitting on Hardwick. Here's how he would typically pose a question to, let's say, Robert DeNiro:
Hardwick: "When you were making Taxi Driver...did you ever...like...was there ever a moment when...Because I know sometimes when I'm at work on the Talking Dead, I'll stop and think...like...What is the best way to...I guess what I'm trying to ask is...How do you tap into a story that was so different from your own experience?
DeNiro: "Eh, you know, I read a lot of Nietzsche."
Hardwick: "See, that's funny you say that, because I know like...when I am trying to think of guests for this show...like...one time Jenny McCarthy said something to me really funny...And a lot of people don't appreciate how smart she really is...But like, it's always been my experience..."
There are WAY better interviewers out there, and I am flabbergasted as to how he even has a fan base.
This is a hilarious post. I agree almost completely. Haven't been able to listen to Nerdist for a couple years unless the episode gets hype or the guest is someone I'm really interested in. I still like Ray and Mira but Hardwick's aw-shucks humblebrag persona has grown past mildly grating and right up to completely repellent.
I don't listen to many podcasts these days. My Brother My Brother and Me is still good for a chuckle, Judge John Hodgman, the occasional Radiolab episode, Everything and the Kitchen Sink for music. Song Exploder is also cool but I wish it went deeper. I tried a few episodes of the Bret Easton Ellis podcast on LV's recommendation but although the conversation was interesting I can't get over how much I personally dislike that guy. That's BEE, not LV.