Scott Aukerman’s Earwolf productions is clearly top dog in the alt comedy world. Hit shows like Comedy Bang Bang, formerly Comedy Death Ray, was even picked up as a series by IFC, the latest deep-cable platform to try its hand at episodic programming. So as a fan of Earwolf, Who Charted? landed in my lap pretty organically.
Kulap Vilaysack cradles her “Weewok.”
This bi-weekly show was traditionally a look at charts of all shapes and sizes: music charts, movies, books. All by genre. The show’s dichotomous duo, hosts Howard Kremer (Dragon Boy Suede), and Kulap Vilaysack, play off a wide array of comedic guests, some well-known, others more obscure.
Charted became something more to me after the first few listens, though. All at once silly, decadent, funny, and accidentally insightful, Charted can feel a bit like a childish indulgence. Like Fun Dip.
Vilaysack (Ackerman’s wife incidentally) plays the buoyant straight, to Kremer’s possibly intoxicated man-boy. Nothing’s perfect though; Vilaysack’s forced laughter, and Kremer’s skewed musings can wear on you. I’ve dipped out on a few eps well before completion. But those are typically the exception, not the rule.
The duo cap off the week with Two Charted. They really dive into Kremer’s unorthodox take on relationships, spirituality and whatever weird concept he’s currently obsessed with. He’s devoted an hour to smoothies, and even more time to “the clinch,” a mysterious condition he pathologizes with crowded wombs (he’s a twin).
In one episode a fan sent Howard a little gift, a regular segment on the show. The host delightedly unwrapped a stuffed animal with Kremer’s unique visage; it was thus deigned the Wie-Wie bear (see photo). The audio wasn’t quite as creepy.
In summation: Who Charted? is a little slice of good cheer, sure to wipe away workday stress or get you through that long workout.
