These 10 Hilarious Podcasts Will Make You LOL

These 10 Hilarious Podcasts Will Make You LOL

By Christine Erickson For Mashable

1. The Nerdist

Host Chris Hardwicks covers everything nerdy with his two equally hilarious friends, Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. The guest list includes Neil Patrick Harris, Wilco, Seth Meyers and Conan O'Brien, to name a few.

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2. WTF with Marc Maron

From Molly Shannon to spouses Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, host Marc Maron has a pretty solid list of guests who reveal interesting things about themselves. Each celebrity lets out a "WTF" moment at the beginning of the podcast, which leads the conversation to a range of other topics.

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3. How Was Your Week

Julie Klausner's mantra is to keep things interesting. She's spoken with Rachel Dratch about RuPaul's drag race, and with Patton Oswalt on whether inventors are weirder than magicians, for example.

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4. Comedy Bang Bang

Scott Aukerman is the producer of Between Two Ferns, hence the frequent visits from Zach Galifianakis. Other guests include Jon Hamm, Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic and Tim & Eric.

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5. You Made it Weird

Host and comedian Pete Holmes asks other comedians, like Judd Apatow and Paul F. Thompkins, to reveal their weirdest secrets.

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6. The Pod F. Tompkast

Paul F. Tompkins portrays Cake Boss, Ice-T and Andrew Lloyd Webber on a regular basis, as well as other comedians. The show features live recordings, conversations and clips from Thompkins' live show in Los Angeles, CA.

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7. Never Not Funny

Every week, comedian Jimmy Pardo talks with producer Matt Belknap, plus one other comedian. Expect everything from witty conversations about life in the '70s to hilarious examinations of modern issues. The first 20 minutes are free, but you can purchase the full conversation for $0.99.

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8. Superego

Drs. Jeremy Carter, PhD and Matt Gourley, PyT improv-discuss "Analytical Pscience," a series of hilarious psychological case studies. The show features guests like Drew Carey, Jason Sudeikis, John Hodgman and other gut-busting comedians.

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9. Pop My Culture

If you're a music, movie or TV junkie, this podcast, hosted by comedians Cole Stratton and Vanessa Ragland, features an array of hilarious comedians, musicians and actors.

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10. The JV Club

Although this podcast is new to the game, "proud dork" Janet Varney has already managed to get Mad Men star Christina Hendricks to talk about life as a high school goth. The premise of this podcast is the awkward teen years we all seem to experience.

If you’re a fan of standup, consider podcasts the more intimate version of live comedy performance. That’s what makes comedy podcasts so fun — you’re listening in on conversations from your favorite hilarious people.

Whether you like pop culture, traditional standup or prefer the absolutely absurd, there are so many great acts of comedy on podcast these days, you’re likely to find at least one to suit your style.

If you’re looking for some of the funniest podcasts, we’ve round up 10 channels to choose from. Plug in your headphones and get ready to LOL in public.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Kohlerphoto

Racist Tweets Result in 56 Days in Jail

Racist Tweets Result in 56 Days in Jail

By Sonia Paul For Mashable
Ten days after posting racially offensive comments on Twitter during a soccer match, British student Liam Stacey has been sentenced to 56 days in jail.

Stacey, 21, tweeted the comments on St. Patrick’s Day using the handle @LiamStacey9 after U.K. soccer star Fabrice Muamba, who plays for the Bolton Wanderers, collapsed on the field during a live televised soccer match. His initial tweet, “LOL, F___ Muamba. He’s dead!!! HAHA,” incited a host of backlash from other users, who found the remark offensive. Stacey responded back with more commentary, which is when the racial language ensued.

In his court hearing yesterday, Stacey “admitted inciting racial hatred.” When authorities first arrested him under a “public order offense” the day after he posted the comments, he had tried to distance himself from the tweets, saying his account had been hacked.

Upon initial questioning, Stacey told police he was drunk when he posted the tweets. When he received the court sentencing yesterday, “he broke down in tears,” according to the BBC. He has since also been suspended from his university until further notice.

Prosecutor Jim Brisbane said the racist language was the cause for incitement. “Racist language is inappropriate in any setting and through any media,” he said. “We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that the comments made online are somehow beyond the law.”

In the U.K., police forces “regularly take action against those who post racially offensive remarks on Twitter,” though these actions by the police are rarely made public.

As expected, Twitter users are reacting to the sentencing online, with comments ranging from supporting the punishment to wondering if it is too much.

Lord Sugar

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@Lord_Sugar

Liam Stacey jailed for 56 days for comments made on Twitter about Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba.BLOODY GOOD JOB. Be warned idiots !

27 Mar 12

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Sam Smith@samsmitter

I wish the gleeful mob frenzy over Liam Stacey would stop .. it's almost as repellent as his racism.

28 Mar 12

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Doug Saunders@DougSaunders

Being racist on Twitter is vile and deserves admonishment, but should it be illegal? And subject to a prison sentence?is.gd/opjMus

28 Mar 12

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Indeed, the question of whether racism on Twitter or other online media outlets deserves as much attention as U.K. courts are giving to it is at the heart of some of the less-than-excited reactions. As Joseph Harker pointed out in an op-ed for the Guardian, cases like Stacey’s, which would have gone unnoticed a few years ago, have found themselves under scrutiny because the public domain now includes the digital world. And everyone is “venting their emotions in public.”

Harker also acknowledged that most of the people who do vent in public are doing so without realizing the implications of their attitudes:

The sad individuals who vent their emotions this way have never been the real problem: they’re mostly uneducated, they hold little real power over me, and the threat they pose is minimal. By contrast, the people who actually go out organizing, who form political organizations pledged to ethnically cleanse the country, forcing me and my family out, are the real danger. And they seem to get away with everything.

According to Harker, the U.K. courts are going after these public displays of racism because they are “quick wins” to try to claim that racism will no longer be tolerated.

Stacey’s Twitter account, @LiamStacey9, has since been taken down, and he has been ordered not to use Twitter or other social networking sites. However, a video on YouTube has captured the tweets that led to his initial arrest and subsequent sentencing. It reflects Stacey’s transition in language and attitude upon realizing the severity of his remarks. WARNING: View with caution. Some of the language may be offensive.

Do you think Liam Stacey’s sentencing is justified? Sound off in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, sodafish