8 Must-Listen Comedy Podcasts

A new medium, at first popularized by the content it delivers, tends to change the habits of its audience. The printing press led to the first newspapers and novels, which in turn spawned an entire publishing industry and a more literate society. Movies, originally one-reelers featuring such exciting fare as boxing kangaroos and people walking to work, eventually gave us modern cinema, as well as cinephiles. Video arcades gave eighties kids a reason to part with their hard-earned allowances, which begat home consoles, which begat a spike in tailbone injuries. The internet has been no exception. As our most ubiquitous and immediate communications medium, it has seen its share of trends. From blogs to brickfilms, it has become, for better or worse, our primary window to the world. We like to think of this age as one of high technology, but ironically, the internet has given new life to a stagnant medium: comedy radio. Call it comedy albums 2.0. Call it sit-down stand-up. These days, most folks call them podcasts. Comics like Ricky Gervais, Joe Rogan and Marc Maron have made the format a must-listen, but there's a wealth of other shows out there. Here are a few great ones you may have missed. Fair warning, though: this stuff could change your life.