Podcasts are one of the most recent media formats that’s swept the internet landscape. It’s also something that is mocked and called background noise for people who work or something that just fills the emptiness of a room. It’s kind of remarkable how podcasts can get any kind of major following since there are so many podcasts available today, mostly from famous people, which is why I want to put my spotlight on one of my personal favorite podcasts, Laser Time.
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| Better than bullet time! |
What is Laser Time?
Laser Time Network is the podcast network for former GamesRadar employees who have multiple podcasts about video games, wrestling, comic books and other forms of pop culture. Laser Time, the main podcast on their site, is hosted by Chris Antista, with his friends and co-hosts, Brett Elston, Mikel Reparaz, Tyler Wilde, Henry Gilbert, Michael Grimm, and Dave Rudden.
Each episode of Laser Time explores a different aspect of pop culture, going from adult jokes in kids’ cartoons to the worst accents in film, but taking an informally analytical approach to everything. What do I mean by that? Think about any conversation you’ve ever had with one of your friends about why a particular movie/book was worth seeing/reading and never saying “it’s good/bad”? Laser Time also acts like, what Chris Antista calls, “pop culture curators” and we get an in-depth look at the forgotten relics of pop culture AKA things that were relevant years ago. Examples of this include their episode about hotline numbers (immortalized by The Simpsons in Lisa the Greek), failed talk shows, and cartoons that were vanity vehicles for celebrities. The hosts’ rather informal approach to pop culture history make it easier to grasp and I’m amazed by how much random information I’ve been able to retain.
It’s the subtle differences that truly set Laser Time apart. Host Chris Antista does everything he can to entertain his friends (and in essence, the podcasting audience) and he actively uses humorous sound effects to capitalize or punctuate some of the jokes he makes but don’t worry, it’s nothing like an obnoxious radio morning zoo. Chris is also the main editor of Laser Time and he includes both an opening and closing segment in every episode. More amazingly, Chris includes the very faint hint of music playing in the background of every episode, just loud enough that it adds an interesting taste to their already riveting discussions. I can’t imagine how long it must take to do that for every episode, let alone on a weekly basis!
Laser Time’s consistent quality ultimately falls on one thing: the people. Laser Time is both one of the most vulgar and dark podcasts you’ll ever hear, and for me, that’s the type of humor I can cherish dearly. It’s evident in the opening minutes how close the hosts are to each other and that works effectively for establishing the back-and-forth dynamic that keeps their discussions interesting. People reviewing Laser Time on iTunes mention how the podcast is like listening to your best friends talk and that is what endeared me to the Laser Time crew in the end.
Laser Time has released 150+ episodes by this date and yet, I’ve listened to each episode twice and some episodes multiple times. When life becomes truly chaotic and the encouraging words from your friends and family just isn’t enough to brighten up your spirits, Laser Time has always been there to bring everything back to normality through the hosts’ own experiences and interpretations of the truly absurd journey of life. At once just a curiosity of the internet, now a permanent fixture of my daily routine, Laser Time is just the right amount of profanity and intellectual insight to make your day just a little bit brighter than usual.
Recommended episodes (in no particular order):
Laser Time’s 100th episode! In this episode, the Laser Time crew argue about which season from the golden years of the Simpsons is the best.
Chris, Brett, Michael, and Henry talk about the state of video game journalism, specifically game reviews, after the impact of #GamerGate, then discuss and defend their picks of games they awarded 10s to when they worked at GamesRadar.
Without a doubt, an episode I’ve listened to at least a hundred times. The Laser Time crew talk about their favorite WWE wrestlers from the different eras of pro wrestling. This episode has such remarkable pacing to it that I would want to perform it as a live-stage version of it if I could. Even if you don’t like wrestling, this episode might convert you.
Exactly what it says, Chris, who wrote for A Cartoon Christmas for 4 years, brings up the absolute worst X-mas specials ever made that range from the bizarre to the appallingly awful. A must if you’re a fan of obscure animation!
Did I mention that Laser Time is a vulgar program? This episode, however, explores instances of innocent/childhood characters and public personalities saying “naughty” things.
A hilarious episode from beginning to end, Brett names off some of the stranger spam accounts and messages he’s encountered from the spam filter of his website VGMpire.
In the first segment, the Laser Time crew talk about the 2011 movie then reminisce their childhood experiences with the Muppets. In the second segment, Brett quizzes Chris, Henry, and Tyler on which titles are either from Marvel comics or Star Trek episodes.
The Laser Time crew talk about songs that they are kind-of ashamed to admit they like. It contains one of the most hilarious reactions from Michael Grimm that I’ve ever heard.
Chris names his list of the top 5 unaired comedy pilots while the hosts bring up an interesting perspective on the inner workings of television in the 90’s.
A legendary episode that exemplifies the best of Laser Time. Both an engaging look at a time capsule of television, the Very Special Episode, and a hilarious deconstruction of the Very Special Episode format, this episode will make you feel wonderful and guilty for laughing. Warning: gets very uncomfortable in the end.
BONUS: Centenniversary
Props must be given to Chris Antista for editing together this 6 hour epic, celebrating the 100th episode of TalkRadar, his first podcast before Laser Time. This episode includes only the greatest hits TalkRadar reached up to that point. Like I said though, it’s 6-hrs. Break out the confetti and champagne!
Laser Time is hosted on lasertimepodcast.com and on iTunes. New episodes are posted every Monday.
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