Usually, I would treat you all to an article on culture, or some facet of the nerd culture, however, I am going in a different direction this time. This time, around I want to tell you about one of the hottest and probably most comedic series out there. I am obviously talking about the “Brilliant Idiots Podcast.” If you don’t know what a podcast is, here is a quick but probably very skewed definition.
A podcast is basically an hour long show done by a person. Now, the Brilliant Idiots podcast is put on by popular radio host Charlemagne Tha God and comedian Andrew Schulz. The pair has been featured on MTV and MTV2 and Charlemagne even has his own shown (Uncommon Sense which is another great show). The two bring a comedic flair to basically everything in pop culture, politics, and basically everything else.
The show has a basic rundown and format. The two will usually open up with something major that happened in the week. They will give an opinion (often arguing or just being jerks to each other) and will continue on. Sometimes, they will bring on a guest and the episode will focus on the guest and what they want to talk about. The guests have a varied range of professions and experiences.
The two will then interview and have a great dialogue with the guest. Sometimes they will just be an interview, and other times they will have the guest comment with them on what’s going on in the world. If they don’t have a guest, a variety of topics will be covered and you hear a lot of jokes that will keep you laughing.
The power of the show lies in the very straightforward nature of the two. The duo addresses every topic with let’s say a less than tactful manner. Charlemagne, who is a part of the syndicated morning radio show “The Breakfast Club,” is used to asking tough questions and gives a very honest approach. He asks whatever is on his mind and will explain himself. Andrew Schulz is more of the straight man who just speaks his mind.
His questions aren’t thought out or calculated, he asks anything he wants to know. In one episode, the duo brings a sex expert on the show to talk about rape and rape laws, and Andrew asked if both people are drunk then who rapes who? That isn’t really a commonly asked question and he asked it. Often times, Charlemagne and Andrew attempt to have a dialogue about everything from culture appropriation and race to top five point guards of all time. The show thrives off the fact that the two ask any and every question and like to keep the conversation open. They curse, make fun of people, use derogatory remarks, and attempt to educate the masses.
The best part of the show is how the two are unapologetic. They often will say things as facts and will get yelled at by the other hosts (some of the other hosts will be the guest, producer Chris Marrow who often checks their facts, and Charlemagne’s bodyguard Wax) or will just call people out for being stupid. They give a unique perspective on the world and often make people laugh. The magic is in the fact that the conversation feels natural because they know they can be wrong and don’t pretend to be correct.
Their tagline is often “If you think we are brilliant and insightful, you are right. If you think we are idiots who don’t know what the f*** we are talking about, you are also right.” The conversations seem as if they come from longtime friends and don’t just shove themselves to agree. Arguments happen a lot, guests sometimes yell, and well, people get angry. The show opens a dialogue every week, and that’s why it works. If you have free time (and if you stopped to read this article I know you have some time on your hands), take a listen.
