

The JV Club with Janet Varney
Janet Varney and Maximum Fun
Remember what it was like to be an awkward teenager? And remember how some things haven't really changed that much for you since then? Join proud dork Janet Varney as she explores the highs and lows of the bygone years with some of her favorite women as they talk their way through the terrible teens into adult-lescence.
Warning: This Podcast Contains Sincerity.
Warning: This Podcast Contains Sincerity.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 30, 2020 • 1h 20min
Helen Hong
Make some room at your lunch table for comedian Helen Hong (Go Fact Yourself) and delight in stories of potato knishes, disappearing rabbits, and someone who actually loves “Cats." Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Jan 23, 2020 • 1h 12min
Jamie Loftus
The delightful Jamie Loftus (The Bechdel Cast) joins JV to talk real-life SORTING HOUSES (!), band instrument hierarchy, Algebra-Hacky Sack-Juggalos. Also, I had to look up how to spell “hacky sack” but already knew how to spell “juggalo,” which means something but who knows what. Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Jan 16, 2020 • 1h 19min
Allie Goertz
Allie Goertz, the other half of the Round Springfield podcast, joins JV for a chat about regional accents that aren’t what they seem, cheddar cheese powder, and what it’s like to move all the way to “LA City!” Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Jan 9, 2020 • 1h 15min
Julia Prescott
Today! Discover the one time you should trust strangers with candy (okay, yes, we are talking about the tv show) in this episode with Max Fun friend and podcaster, Julia Prescott! (From the "Round Springfield" podcast) Plus: Hot Topic Goth, Ska and much more! Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Jan 2, 2020 • 1h 23min
Emily Gordon
Doughnuts, Cigarettes, and Hot Sauce, Oh My! It’s a rerun of the episode with Emily Gordon (The Indoor Kids), chock-full of fond remembrances of first kisses, My So Called Life, and the once-pervasive Manic Panic hair dye, the use of which apparently makes you a communist. This week’s bonus: Theories on how hot dogs got their name. This episode first aired in 2013. Hosted by Janet Varney. Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Dec 26, 2019 • 1h 5min
Amanda Brooke Perin
Hello Calga-reeeee! Find out what that last sentence means, as well as how comedian and writer Amanda Brooke Perin handles JV’s oh-so-personal, prying questions about the weather in Alberta, on this tell-all episode of The JV Club! Hosted by Janet Varney. Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Dec 19, 2019 • 1h 17min
Courtenay Hameister
Get out your Rydell High letterman/woman’s jacket and/or pomade up your hair for this chat with author and storyteller Courtenay Hameister (Author of the new book Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went from Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things) who be-bopped all across these United States and even over the Pacific Ocean for a childhood of Army-Bratting… with plenty of energy left over to experience some juicy panic and anxiety in her adult years! Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun

Dec 12, 2019 • 1h 12min
Abigail Spencer
Tensions are high as the final two contestants of Burning Love (Janet and Abigail Spencer) face off to discuss counterculture of surfing, discovering Barbra Streisand, the rush of a flea market find, and the emotional magnetism of the City of Angels. This interview originally was originally published in 2017. Abigail's new show "Reprisal" is now streaming on Hulu. Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Dec 5, 2019 • 1h 6min
Alice Fraser
It’s a podcast spanning the whooooole wooooooorld! JV lolls on her bed on the phone, staring at the ceiling like a proper teen, with guest Alice Fraser (“Savage”) who cover female friendships in all their highs and lows and much much more! Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

Nov 28, 2019 • 1h 13min
Danielle Weeks
It’s a healing of old wounds as Rizzo and Sandy come together at last in the spirit of forgiveness. Or, it’s JV’s dear friend, actor and writer Danielle Weeks (“Baby Love”), who comes over to reminisce about their shared junior high experiences in Tucson, complete with a certain musical they performed in the school cafeteria. Hosted by Janet Varney. Edited by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.