Greg Proops is the titular host of The Smartest Man in the World. The title, reportedly tongue-in-cheek, is telling of the amount of information one can absorb in an episode of this distinctive comedian’s podcast. There’s bygone era Hollywood trivia, obscure baseball information, and a wide array of music minutiae.
Always quick, always intimidatingly informed, and always funny, Proops has turned his finely-tuned stand-up act into a weekly, hour-long, one-man show recorded in clubs around the world. And “Whose Line Is It Anyways?” it is not.
The Smartest Man in the World is exclusively live, a format many podcasters shy away from. But you really shine in front of a crowd. Was your decision to forgo the in-studio, Mano-y-mano format simply a logistics call or was it more calculated?
I need and want the live audience to guide and inspire me.
The Smartest Man in the World is at once non-linear and intentional. How do you prepare for a podcast/live show?
Read stories and think about what I can talk about that hopefully I have not covered all ready. And dope.
You make some of the most cogent cannabis-influenced arguments I’ve ever heard. When was the last show you did sans marijuana?
I do them all the time. But I like the left brain pull before a Proopcast.
What’s your strongest category in Trivial Pursuit?
Yikes I don’t rightly know. Obscura?
Since the podcast’s launch in 2010, I’m assuming you’ve seen your fan base expand. To what extent?
The podcast has been great in getting the young people on board which is thrilling.
How has the podcast changed you?
I love comedy again.
###
Follow Greg on Twitter @GregProops
