A weekly review of The Best Show On WFMU, Tom Scharpling’s call-in/comedy/music show broadcast every Tuesday night from Jersey City. The three-hour program is available for free download at iTunes.
It’s the marathon hangover show. Tom is tired from raising so much money for WFMU. Still, there are some highlights worth mentioning:
Around the 36-minute mark, a caller explains how a recent Paul F. Tompkins stand-up performance seemed to borrow one a Best Show meme; the caller is promptly ambushed on the other line by Tompkins himself. Apologies are demanded, given … then not accepted.
Here’s a new (possibly one-time) feature I’m going to call Anatomy Of A Call. Let’s break down the emotional rollercoaster of Tom’s exchange with the intriguing newcomer, Pastor Josh:
40:01
Josh calls to ask Tom, “Is Ted Leo always as awesome as he sounded on your show last week?” This is the kind of question one would find in the hallowed pages of Parade magazine. Why is Justin Timberlake so darn talented? How did the Ewoks get so cute? Infuriating.
40:52
It gets worse. Josh asks how to look for Ted Leo’s albums in the record store. Is it under T or L or P for Pharmacists? How did this guy manage to dial the phone number for the radio station?
41:20
After some bowing and scraping to Tom, Josh asks if it’s OK for podcast listeners to call the show. This is turning into the worst type of exchange: the sycophant and the master.
Can’t go on with this. Turns out that Josh is a United Methodist pastor and probably an all-around good guy who could prove to be a valuable addition to the show, provided the program takes a heady theological turn or needs marital counseling.
Tom to Fredericks from New Port Richey, who was nominated in several Best Show Awards categories a few weeks back: “You’re like the Slumdog Millionaire of creeps.”
