If only someone was brave enough to open the door to men
May 17, 2015 4:00 PM   Subscribe

 
Uh, hanging participle? I think you mean dangling participle. Please stand by for my strongly-worded email.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:07 PM on May 17, 2015 [6 favorites]


That was great.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 4:07 PM on May 17, 2015


Oh no I can't deal with looking at Jesse Thorn's face talking. He looks diametrically different from how I pictured.
posted by bleep at 4:08 PM on May 17, 2015 [8 favorites]


Yeah, I don't know exactly what I expected him to look like either, but it was not at all how he actually looks.
posted by clockzero at 4:11 PM on May 17, 2015


That is the curse of radio personalities everywhere.

Is this video in response to anything in particular? Or is it just its own thing?
posted by ocherdraco at 4:12 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yeah. We need some sort of spoiler warning when posting videos/pictures of radio personalities (except for Ira Glass, who looks exactly like what you'd expect)
posted by schmod at 4:17 PM on May 17, 2015 [17 favorites]


Funny, Pol Pot was an educated man, taught school and was a pretty good writer when translated.

He never used "like" though as in "The Party is essential for like, our survival."
posted by clavdivs at 4:30 PM on May 17, 2015 [4 favorites]


I totally expected him to look like Ira Glass. Instead, he looks like every single male comedian I know. This was perfect and made my night. I am proud to be married to a male comedian who has jokes that are not tired cliches, but he is a rare bird.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


This was excellent, I enjoyed watching. I think the comments about his appearance are a little weird.
posted by xarnop at 4:32 PM on May 17, 2015 [6 favorites]


That "distinctive eyewear" bit is way too true.
posted by darksong at 4:37 PM on May 17, 2015 [10 favorites]


That is the curse of radio personalities everywhere.

It was better when they all looked like these two.
posted by jonmc at 4:46 PM on May 17, 2015 [6 favorites]


I hereby pledge to never ever apologize for insulting any demographic subgroup I belong to (male, cisgendered, Euro-white, part-Irish, part-German, over 55, balding or grey-haired - or formerly blond, obese... although I may think twice before making fun of my heart condition because so many people will mistake it for other, less insult-worthy conditions). Because people like me are THE WORST, and that's my best excuse.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:46 PM on May 17, 2015


That is a beard for radio.
posted by gwint at 4:53 PM on May 17, 2015 [4 favorites]


Love the guy though.
posted by gwint at 4:54 PM on May 17, 2015


The comments about his appearance are meta, like his bit, duh.
posted by gwint at 4:56 PM on May 17, 2015


except for Ira Glass, who looks exactly like what you'd expect

I used to picture Ira Glass as an androgynous, biracial twenty-year-old like this guy I knew in college. I do not think I could have been more wrong.
posted by muddgirl at 5:22 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


Yay! I like this video. (Directed by MeFi's own, and my heart's own, Jay Frosting.)
posted by Lyn Never at 5:26 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


I used to picture Ira Glass as an androgynous, biracial twenty-year-old like this guy I knew in college. I do not think I could have been more wrong.

I remember my first job interview with Torey Malatia at WBEZ. At one point I left to use the restroom, and as I was coming back, I overheard him say to the other interviewer...
posted by officer_fred at 5:28 PM on May 17, 2015 [15 favorites]


Carl Kasell looks *exactly* like Carl Kasell.
posted by uosuaq at 5:32 PM on May 17, 2015 [11 favorites]


Funny, Pol Pot was an educated man, taught school and was a pretty good writer when translated.

He never used "like" though as in "The Party is essential for like, our survival."


C'est comme... bodge?
posted by Sys Rq at 5:33 PM on May 17, 2015


I don't like how you look in your comedy videos, either.
posted by YoungAmerican at 5:39 PM on May 17, 2015 [101 favorites]


Hi Jesse!
posted by ocherdraco at 5:53 PM on May 17, 2015


Pol Pot didn't either, so there's that!
posted by clavdivs at 5:53 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


We definitely toss the "face for radio" line around most of the TV studios I work in. It's always interesting to me how so few radio faces match the ones I've conjured in my head.
posted by nevercalm at 5:54 PM on May 17, 2015


Oh, and nothing wrong with Jesse's looks at all! WTF, Mefites?
posted by nevercalm at 5:55 PM on May 17, 2015 [3 favorites]


Maybe it's because I was introduced to Mr. Thorn via the superlative Judge John Hodgman podcast, but he looks almost exactly like I thought he would.
posted by Etrigan at 6:04 PM on May 17, 2015


I was introduced to everyone in that story via MetaFilter, so
posted by Sys Rq at 6:15 PM on May 17, 2015


I've only seen him drawn, poorly.
posted by Yowser at 6:15 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


Mod note: One comment deleted; maybe let's not get a lot further down the road of ironically saying shitty things about his looks to show how sexist comments are wrong?
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 6:26 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


Ocherdraco: this introduced a comedy show at BAM in Brooklyn which I booked. It featured four awesome comics who are women (Aparna Nancherla, Ali Wong, Maria Bamford and Aisha Tyler). I was supposed to host, but I had to have an appendectomy and couldn't fly; Hodgman was kind enough to pinch-hit for me and introduce the video, so I was careful to take the opportunity to insult him.

Fun behind the scenes fact: it's shot from the sternum up because I was only three days out of surgery, and fastening pants was very painful.
posted by YoungAmerican at 6:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [30 favorites]


NO PANTS WORKDAY! Living the dream, Jesse, living the dream.
posted by KingEdRa at 6:51 PM on May 17, 2015 [9 favorites]


I really appreciated your willingness to outright come out in favor of women's rights/issues- I would say that is still very needed. I was hoping for an actual conversation about the content but I guess people's surprise feelings stole the show. Maybe that also means the content was so well stated there was nothing left to say so people are just bloviating.
posted by xarnop at 6:57 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


YoungAmerican: " Fun behind the scenes fact: it's shot from the sternum up because I was only three days out of surgery, and fastening pants was very painful."

From one Jesse to another: Cashmere sweatpants. Or mohair. Cashmere's more sophisticated, mohair tends to be a bit funkier. Mix it up a bit, have fun with it while you're on atavan and wondering if the taste of all the food you eat is influenced by you constantly tasting your own tongue.
posted by boo_radley at 7:08 PM on May 17, 2015


[One comment deleted; maybe let's not get a lot further down the road of ironically saying shitty things about his looks to show how sexist comments are wrong?]

[Fair enough and I'm not remotely surprised it got deleted but the post is about ironically saying shitty things about men's ability to be funny to show how sexist comments are wrong.]

posted by uosuaq at 7:10 PM on May 17, 2015


Mod note: I know.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:12 PM on May 17, 2015 [9 favorites]


[Ssshhh I think they can hear us.]
posted by uosuaq at 7:17 PM on May 17, 2015 [5 favorites]


[Why are we whispering?]
posted by Cookiebastard at 7:20 PM on May 17, 2015 [2 favorites]


Mod note: If you kids don't stop abusing small tags and square brackets I am going to turn this comment parser around.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [51 favorites]


JESSE THORN IS A GODDAMNED NATIONAL TREASURE.

I will not hear him, or his beard, slandered.
posted by tristeza at 7:52 PM on May 17, 2015 [8 favorites]


When I was in college I used to hang out with a bunch of people who gave themselves shitty stick and poke tattoos and smoked crack and lived in an abandoned garage, but they were artists and were doing it *ironically.* So it didn't count.
posted by balmore at 8:16 PM on May 17, 2015


(Honestly I'm not sure I've heard this guy on NPR; is he on in the Boston area? If not, why are we playing Wait Wait Don't Tell me eight times a weekend?)
posted by uosuaq at 8:31 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


So brave. Smash the misandry!
posted by clvrmnky at 8:47 PM on May 17, 2015


Damn Jesse didn't know about the appendectomy. Get well soon! I had mine out once and I am still able to dance the hoochie coo, I'll have you know.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:46 PM on May 17, 2015


(Honestly I'm not sure I've heard this guy on NPR; is he on in the Boston area? If not, why are we playing Wait Wait Don't Tell me eight times a weekend?)

Jesse hosts Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, which is distributed by NPR, but that doesn't mean it's on every public radio station. If you want to hear it in Boston, ask your public radio station to pick it up! Or download the podcast.
posted by mokin at 9:47 PM on May 17, 2015 [1 favorite]


When he said his own name I was like Oh wait, that's bailiff Jesse Thorn.
posted by Ashenmote at 10:03 PM on May 17, 2015 [11 favorites]


I dunno about any other aspect of this, but it's deeply ignorant. Hasn't this dude heard of the Marx Brothers? Jack Benny? Richard Pryor? Laurel and Hardy? Chuck Jones?

(Or have I fallen for some sort of post-modern irony?)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:36 PM on May 17, 2015


Help! I am having a really hard time figuring out whether the comment above this one is some sort of post-modern irony.
posted by en forme de poire at 11:39 PM on May 17, 2015 [26 favorites]


You'd think so, en forme, but in actuality it's neither.
posted by uosuaq at 11:59 PM on May 17, 2015


Actually, all of the above comments in this thread are just me and my social-media sock puppet team creating an amazing online happening for your amusement and wonder. Is any of this real? Are you real? BOOM.
posted by Strange Interlude at 3:42 AM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


(Or have I fallen for some sort of post-modern irony?)

No, just the regular kind.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:26 AM on May 18, 2015


Is any of this real? Are you real? BOOM.

I'm Bob Arctor! Yowza!
posted by officer_fred at 4:26 AM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I have to go with "I pictured Ira Glass as a rather gawky fey college student" as well. I'm from the generation whose parents couldn't stand him because he sounded like a valley girl on the air. The sight of him with grey hair and horn-rimmed specs just never sits right.

I do love that Philip Glass is his cousin. I'm amazed he waited 20 years to crack that particular egg open on stage.

As for the Jesse Thorn bit, that's really well done satire. Bravo! Sorry I've never heard you before on the radio because I guess I don't subscribe to the right podcasts and also I live in England.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 4:40 AM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


PS: never do an image search for Tom Bodett.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 4:41 AM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I was shocked to see Bailiff Jesse out of uniform.
posted by BrashTech at 5:10 AM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I feel sad now that I've never heard his show, but I guess on the local station it's broadcast at a time when Young Americans are still up and listening to public radio, rather than the time slots when us Old Americans [who are also too old to figure out this "podcast" thingie] are awake.
posted by drlith at 5:52 AM on May 18, 2015


Just to set a no-irony baseline for y'all: Love you Jesse! Love and depend on Bullseye! Hope you're feeling better!
posted by whuppy at 6:23 AM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


(But srsly you kids and your beards. Yeesh.)
posted by whuppy at 6:24 AM on May 18, 2015


Upon googling, Tom Bodett looks pretty much like what I expected. The big surprise would've been if he was a 22 year old Indian math/CS geek or something.
posted by nevercalm at 6:42 AM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I've always imagined Tom Bodett to be an anthropomorphic motel sign, sitting forever atop a specific pole near a stretch of highway somewhere in the midwest, calling out in soothing tones to passing motorists, like some sort of bizarre psychic guru.
posted by cortex at 7:34 AM on May 18, 2015 [13 favorites]


Is there background to this? (Forgive this Canadian, but I don't know Jesse Thorn at all).
Did he actually say men aren't funny on his radio show and get complaints? Or is this just an ironic bit about apologies in general?
The thing about friends with distinctive eyewear was funny but the rest was kind of confusing not knowing his radio show.
posted by rocket88 at 7:56 AM on May 18, 2015


I've always imagined Tom Bodett to be an anthropomorphic motel sign, sitting forever atop a specific pole near a stretch of highway somewhere in the midwest, calling out in soothing tones to passing motorists, like some sort of bizarre psychic guru.

It really doesn't seem possible that two people could have this precise impression of a person, but here we are.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:01 AM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


Is there background to this? (Forgive this Canadian, but I don't know Jesse Thorn at all).
Did he actually say men aren't funny on his radio show and get complaints? Or is this just an ironic bit about apologies in general?


He has definitely said as much on his podcast Jordan, Jesse, Go! and especially the bit about Prairie Home Companion. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he in fact does receive an onslaught of disgruntled emails about that.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:03 AM on May 18, 2015


Am I really explaining this joke? I guess so.

No: I never actually said men weren't funny. This is a joke about people saying women aren't funny, as well as the weird, half-apologies they often give afterwards.

As I mentioned above, it originally ran as the introduction to a show I "curated" which featured four female comics.
posted by YoungAmerican at 8:26 AM on May 18, 2015 [9 favorites]


> Am I really explaining this joke? I guess so.

This is MetaFilter; a certain proportion of the members are not (god love them) on top of the whole humor thing.

Me, I loved the bit, and I recently had an appendectomy too! High-five!
posted by languagehat at 8:52 AM on May 18, 2015 [8 favorites]


languagehat: A certain proportion of Metafilter members are also not (god love us) American, and not on top of the whole NPR thing and Mr. Thorn's style and schtick in particular. Some background would have been nice, and now I have at least a tiny bit (thanks, Jesse).
Also, humo(u)r being subjective, your commentary on whether or not I'm on top of it aren't relevant.
posted by rocket88 at 9:23 AM on May 18, 2015


(FWIW it may have been Jordan who technically said The Thing on The Show, and it was definitely 1. a joke and 2. otherwise mostly buried in a fuller conversation about awesome lady comics. I just wouldn't have been surprised if a small subset of listeners had sent angry emails, because a small subset of listeners ALWAYS sends angry emails.)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 10:39 AM on May 18, 2015


I enjoyed this immensely, but I'm so confused: I thought Jesse Thorn was all anti-irony. As a fan of darkly ironic jokes about prejudice, AND the person in my circle with the most distinctive eyewear, I feel very ashamed to have missed when that apparently changed.
posted by lesli212 at 10:46 AM on May 18, 2015


(Or was I just completely mistaken about the anti-irony thing in the first place, Jesse?)
posted by lesli212 at 10:48 AM on May 18, 2015


Satire employs irony but not all irony is satire. Professional comedian on a closed set. Please do not attempt.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:54 AM on May 18, 2015 [7 favorites]


Rocket88, FYI, even in Canada, even under Harper, we're allowed to click the links in an FPP before making inquiries that are answered in great detail therein, even when the answers are really, really, really obvious without clicking the links.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:43 AM on May 18, 2015


it's delightful & funny.

couldn't listen, and i usually avoid auto closed-captioning b/c it turns out gibberish--but not so with the annunciation of a radio personality! thx for your annunciation jesse!
posted by JBD at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2015


Upthread complaints about the beard are so wrong -- it suits him perfectly.

Also, the clip was funny.
posted by postcommunism at 12:04 PM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


I imagine any confusion regarding Jesse Thorn's appearance can be attributed to genetic experiments performed on him by a deranged millionaire.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:18 PM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


An appendectomy is nature's way of telling you that you need a vacation you can't possibly enjoy in the slightest.
posted by boo_radley at 1:35 PM on May 18, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh no I can't deal with looking at Jesse Thorn's face talking. He looks diametrically different from how I pictured.

I learned that lesson as a teenager when I met a local radio personality after listening to his show for years, and he looked nothing like the blond California surfer-dude I'd envisioned. Now I tend to Google any radio/podcast personalities as I get into their shows, before I get too far into imagining their appearance. I'm usually way off, but I can course-correct early, rather than break my brain trying to make that face go with that voice. (Within 10 minutes of my first episode of Sawbones, I imagined Justin McElroy as looking a lot like Booger... and I don't think I was too far off the mark.)

It is interesting how we decide what people look like based only on hearing them.
posted by and miles to go before I sleep at 2:09 PM on May 18, 2015


OMG CUE HIM TO LOOK AT THE OTHER CAMERA GGGRRR (yes, I know, that was prolly part of the joke).

Also, "since Pol Pot" and "tired and cliche" both got me to laugh out loud, so well played (MeFi's own) Jesse Thorne.
posted by Deoridhe at 3:22 PM on May 18, 2015


I'm not sure if I'd ever really known what Scott Aukerman looked like before I watched the first episode of the Comedy Bang! Bang! television show, despite being a big fan of the podcast already. And so there was a strange sort of dual-factor thing going on: seeing Scott's face as part of the presentation was weird, but also the show has a much more deliberate, weird, deadpan tone compared to the openly giggling improv feel of the podcast. And it's like: did I think Scott looked wrong because his face was his face, or did I think Scott looked wrong because clearly an alien was wearing his skin as a husk and doing some misunderstood version of an earth podcast?

None of which is to say there's anything actually wrong with Scott's face or that the TV show is bad. The TV show is excellent and Scott's face is a totally reasonable human face that I have at this point totally gotten on board with him having draped over his skull.
posted by cortex at 3:25 PM on May 18, 2015 [4 favorites]


I have been trolled. I have lost. I have had a nice day!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:52 PM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]


I have no idea why people don't get this joke. This is great, and Jesse is great, and I'm glad that he is feeling better post-surgery.
posted by rossination at 6:59 PM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]


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