The JV Club with Janet Varney

What a delight! And a joy! Nicole Parker (Mad TV) shares the couch with ole “sore neck” JV and enchants her with tales of senior perms- senior CITIZEN, that is, enormous glasses, and a very robust appreciation of the soundtrack from Scent of a Woman. HOO-AH!

The Double Clicks’ Laser Malena-Webber (who at the time of this interview went by a different name) comes over for a chat about stuff like church (bell choirs, anyone?), D & D, endless (but with an ending) adolescent love, and more… including some pretty amazing RPGs invented for M.A.S.H., thanks to Angela’s rad brain!

Episode 256 brings us author, documentarian and screenwriter (and a bunch of other great stuff) Anna Fields, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the history of women in comedy causes JV to ask her to create an online class… but for now you can settle for her wonderful book and upcoming documentary film, “The Girl in the Show.” Plus: Neuroscience! Constitutional Law! Mac and Cheese!

This week’s Boy of Summer is the esteemed non-doctor, Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz), whose new Audible show promises to be as sublime as his much-beloved cartoon series! Hear about 4-track original teenage sad songs by a small and shy young man raised in The Big Apple in this special episode marking the end of Boys of Summer. 

This episode with Boy of Summer Andy Richter has every necessary ingredient to make you wish you got to work with him every day, or at least take him to a Dodgers game once in awhile! Includes an epilogue in which JV unabashedly implies that he and Conan are maybe responsible for her career…?

This week’s Boy of Summer interview with Jesse Thorn (Maximum Fun)? Oh, it’s just two former San Franciscans jawin’ ‘bout high school drama pragmatism and underwater science is all. And sure, there’s probably some pretty groovy info about how important it is to collaborate with the right folks to make your work happen. Oh, and modern medicine. Plus interviewing interviewers and something we’ll call the chocolate ice cream umbrella. 

Unofficial high school drama teacher Travis McElroy (My Brother, My Brother and Me) educates JV on summer porch tea and cookies, the signs of narcissism, and the particular joy of boxed chocolates in this long-distance episode of the podcast that includes a rousing vocal remix of “Boys of Summer!”

Get out your spray paint can and mentally tag to your heart’s content but for heaven’s sake DON’T ACTUALLY GO OUT AND GRAFFITI (is that a verb?) unless your heart tells you that you must. Just like some people’s hearts tell them to be actors or priests. And some priests tell people to be actors. This will all make more sense after you enjoy the charming and hilarious Eugene Cordero (Kong: Skull Island) as Boys of Summer sizzles onward!

The utterly marvelous Eban Schletter (Spontaneanation) sits down for a chat with JV about the wonders of Ennio Morricone, high school societal bummers of Piedmont, CA, and the gods’ gift to ice cream known as Fenton’s. Plus torn t-shirts, movie soundtracks o’plenty, and the snowy arctic climes of THE THING!!

It's a JV Club re-release with Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele)! Dog talk and tapeworm talk eventually give way to exploring identity as it relates to being adopted, how to get along with (almost) everybody, and the appeal of a really great plate of chili cheese fries.