TBTL: What the heck is it?

So my last post about TBTL was completely about my experience with the show. I was very emotional when I wrote it, and I now realize that I don't think I did enough to make the show sound interesting to you, my tens of readers, so let's try again.

If you want to read a better encomium of the show than I could ever write, go read this TBTL eulogy by Tom Tangney, award-winning film critic and frequent guest on TBTL. It's beautiful.

TBTL, as far as I can tell, is one of a kind. I know of no other podcast, radio show, or television show that has a heart as big. However, it is incredibly difficult to describe to someone who has never heard the show. It has been likened to Seinfeld: a show about nothing that still manages to resonate strongly with people's personal experiences. True in an abstract sense, but TBTL is nothing at all like a sitcom. It has also been described as "This American Life crossed with Howard Stern", which is accurate only in the sense that the show appeals to NPR intellect, but is free-form, humorous, and irreverent, ala Stern. However, the TAL/Stern comparison is also very misleading, as TBTL contains little to no sex talk, and is not at all set in the storytelling format of TAL.

(For you This American Life fans, Ira Glass is going to be on TBTL this Friday; and for you those of you that enjoy Howard Stern's more gritty, earthy brand of humor, Adam Carolla was on TBTL on Monday. Hmm. Maybe the TAL/Stern comparison is more apt than I thought.)

The biggest draw of TBTL, at least for me, is its friendliness. The people on the show are real friends. As friends, they have many joking, sarcastic conversations along with some meaningful, serious ones (a contrast that Tom Tangney compares to lemon meringue pie). However, it could be argued that this intense friendship dynamic is also the biggest hindrance to new listeners. Just like meeting a group of people who are all friends with each other, listening to TBTL for the first time can be intimidating. There are too many inside jokes in each episode to even count. As a long time listener, this self-referential humor is one of my favorite parts of the show, but I realize that it is super confusing to new listeners. The hosts know this as well, but they're not trying to be exclusive. They want everyone to be in on the jokes. They even created a page on the TBTL website to get new listeners up to speed on the show lingo. Unfortunately, it only covers the most frequently used terms; you're left to decipher the remaining 90% on your own.

I'm telling you, though: it's a high barrier to entry, but a high rate of return, like HBO's The Wire. Sit down, grit your teeth through a few episodes while you get to know the characters, and it might become one of your favorite shows of all time. Please, please give it a shot.