The Podcast You Absolutely Have to Listen To: Doug Stanhope’s Podcast

doug stanhope's podcast

“The Podcast You Absolutely Have To Listen To” is a new series where we talk about the  podcasts on the internet you should be checking out.  If you’re living on planet Earth, you already know about the most famous ones– like WTF with , The Adam Carolla Show, The Nerdist, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Comedy Bang Bang.  But there are literally thousands more and we’re combing through them for you, to let you know which ones you should check out first.  

This week, “Doug Stanhope’s Podcast.”


There’s a funny thing about the way the entertainment industry uses the word “dark” when describing a film, book, etc. It really seems that the more accurate word would be “honest”, but it’s just not sexy enough to attract an audience. It also may seem counterintuitive to use it in reference to a comedian, yet no other comic has been able to blend humor with difficult subject matter the way Doug Stanhope can. And that’s exactly why The Doug Stanhope Podcast is the podcast you absolutely have to listen to.

Don’t be confused, first and foremost, the Doug Stanhope Podcast is hilarious. Doug is easily one of the best comedians working today, something both his fans and his peers will attest to. Calling him “edgy” is almost an insult to his abilities, because Doug jumps off the cliff and takes the audience plunging with him. But you can always count on the fact that his take on any topic will be unique and thoughtful while leaving you struggling to breathe because you’re laughing so hard.

Calling him “edgy” is almost an insult to his abilities, because Doug jumps off the cliff and takes the audience plunging with him.

Doug typically records at his home in the fittingly eclectic Bisbee, Arizona, although he also brings the show on the road with him, recording in various hotels, comedy club green rooms, or even bar patios. And his guests are just as varied as his locations. Joined by his producer/engineer Greg Chaille, Doug often includes personal friends like his manager, the “filthy, uncut Scotsman” Brian Hennigan, his girlfriend Bingo, and fellow comedians like Junior Stopka, Andy Andrist, & Kristine Levine, to tell tales from the road, never hesitating about going too far “inside” to give you the real behind-the-scenes highs and lows of life as a professional stand-up. Doug also brings on people you might never hear from otherwise to share stories you can’t find anywhere else. Doug has featured guests like the controversial writer Jim Goad, or Betty Lindstrom, a single mother who led a secret life as a drug trafficker to support her family, and Rebecca Vitsmun, who Doug raised money after seeing her in a viral news clip in which she declared her atheism to Wolf Blitzer when he asked her if she thanked god for saving her life after a tornado destroyed her home.

But what sets The Doug Stanhope Podcast apart from any other podcast out there is his ability to explore the most troubling circumstances of the human condition and find the humor few others would even dare to look for. This is, after all, the podcast with an episode entitled “Comedy Hospice”, where Doug brings on a friend of his to discuss her terminal cancer diagnosis. Even the concept for “comedy hospice” was born out of his own experiences with his dying mother, which later became part of his 2013 special, “Beer Hall Putsch”. But no episode represents Doug’s unique talent for combining tragedy and comedy than the two part “A Bisbee Cliffhanger” saga. In it, Doug shares the story of his friends and tenants, the musicians Derrick and Amy Ross (who performed as Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl), with all the drama and painfully honest heartbreak of a Todd Solondz film. And yet somehow Doug finds ways to bring a smile to your face while the tears roll down your cheeks.

Throw on the tackiest 1970’s leisure suit you can find, pour your favorite mixed drink (better make it a double), and check out The Doug Stanhope Podcast!

The VITALS:

  • The Host: Doug Stanhope
  • Episodes Released: Somewhat weekly, but don’t hold him to it.
  • Guests: Andy Andrist, Kristine Levine, Junior Stopka, the Impractical Jokers, Geoff Tate, James Inman, Lynn Shawcroft to name just a few.
  • Also Available: iTunes

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Interrobang writer and serotonin enthusiast.
Kyle Adamski
Kyle Adamski
Interrobang writer and serotonin enthusiast.