If I Were You (podcast)

Last updated

If I Were You
IIWY.jpeg
If I Were You's cover art
Presentation
Hosted by Jake Hurwitz
Amir Blumenfeld
GenreComedy
Advice
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly (Monday) with occasional bonus episode (Thursday)
Length30–65 minutes
Publication
Original releaseMay 13, 2013 –
April 24, 2023
Provider iTunes
SoundCloud (2013–2014, 2015–2017)
PodcastOne (2014–2015)
Spreaker (2015–2017)
HeadGum (2015–2023)
Art19 (2017–2023)
Spotify (2017–2023)

If I Were You is a comedy advice podcast created and hosted by American comedy duo Jake and Amir, known for their involvement with CollegeHumor and their web series also called Jake and Amir . First released on May 13, 2013, new episodes are posted every Monday (as well as occasional bonus Thursday episodes), featuring the duo's comedic advice for listeners who have submitted questions by email. The show ended after 589 episodes on April 24, 2023. [1]

Contents

The show has appeared on the iTunes podcast charts in multiple countries, reaching number 3 in the United States. [2]

Content

Each episode of If I Were You usually begins and ends with a different theme tune created by a listener. The format of the show consists of hosts Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld reading out questions—or, some episodes, playing audio questions—emailed to them by listeners with problems; usually three or four questions every episode. They assign the listener a pseudonym (often humorous or that of a popular fictional character) and discuss the problem, often brainstorming ideas and improvising humorous situations, before reaching and summarizing a conclusion of what the person should do.

The show has featured several guest stars, including CollegeHumor co-founder Ricky Van Veen, [3] actors and comedians Ben Schwartz [4] and Thomas Middleditch, [5] actresses Allison Williams [6] and Rose McIver, [7] co-workers Streeter Seidell, [8] Emily Axford, [9] Sarah Schneider, [10] Brian K. Murphy, [11] Patrick Cassels, and Dan Gurewitch, [12] The Pete Holmes Show host Pete Holmes, [13] rappers Hoodie Allen [14] and Lil Dicky, [15] singer Alana Haim, [16] Jake's mom Laura Hurwitz, and his brother Micah Hurwitz, all of whom were present for entire episodes, as well as cancer sufferer Ethan Trex [17] and Amir's (at the time) girlfriend Laura, [18] who were only in parts of an episode.

Reception

Jake and Amir goof off for the audience during a live recording of "If I Were You" at DC Improv, May 2017 "If I Were You" Live Show at DC Improv 2017.jpg
Jake and Amir goof off for the audience during a live recording of "If I Were You" at DC Improv, May 2017

The podcast reached number 1 on the British, [19] Canadian [20] and Australian [21] iTunes charts, as well as peaking at number 3 in the United States [2] and number 17 in Germany. [22]

The Guardian 's Miranda Sawyer called If I Were You "a typical example of a comedy podcast" and "amiable enough", but said it contained "far too much laughing", commenting that "If I wanted stream-of-consciousness waffle with the occasional funny line, I'd listen to [my small children]." [23]

Sam Tabachnik of The Washington Post has written of the podcast that Jake and Amir "have their fingers firmly on the pulse of the digital comedy scene," and "riff off each other with ease," [24] while The Concordian 's Kayla Culver described it as "comfortable to listen to" and "genuinely funny," "like listening to two best friends having a hilarious conversation on the couch next to you." [25]

Episodes

Episodes were originally posted every Monday to SoundCloud and Tumblr, [26] and then were posted on podcast website PodcastOne. As announced on Episode 146, IIWY show left PodcastOne and is now available on radio and podcast website, Spreaker. They are also available on iTunes. [27] The second episode was posted early, on the Friday after the first episode. [28]

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References

  1. ↑ "If I Were You". HeadGum. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld – 'If I Were You': American iTunes Chart Performance". iTunesCharts.net. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  3. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (June 10, 2013). "Tattoos (with Ricky Van Veen)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  4. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (January 13, 2014). "Steroids (with Ben Schwartz)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (February 6, 2014). "Butthole (with Thomas Middleditch)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ Jake Hurwitz Amir Blumenfeld (July 15, 2013). "Zero to D (with Allison Williams)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ Jake Hurwitz Amir Blumenfeld (February 27, 2014). "Cat Noises (with Rose McIver)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  8. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (July 1, 2013). "Communism". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  9. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (September 30, 2013). "Waxing (with Emily Axford)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (August 18, 2014). "The Fly (with Sarah Schneider)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (September 1, 2014). "Violence (with Brian Murphy!)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (July 5, 2015). "Honour (w/Dan Gurewitch!)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (October 14, 2013). "Sex is Sex (with Pete Holmes Live At ComicCon!)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (June 30, 2014). "Instagram (with Hoodie Allen!)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  15. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (March 2, 2015). "Shower Sex (w/Lil Dicky!)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (May 4, 2015). "Spicy (w/Alana Haim)". If I Were You (Podcast). Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  17. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (June 24, 2013). "Tinder". If I Were You (Podcast). Event occurs at 16:59. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  18. ↑ Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld (May 20, 2013). "Noodles". If I Were You (Podcast). Event occurs at 23:00. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld – 'If I Were You': British iTunes Chart Performance". iTunesCharts.net. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld – 'If I Were You': Canadian iTunes Chart Performance". iTunesCharts.net. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld – 'If I Were You': Australian iTunes Chart Performance". iTunesCharts.net. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld – 'If I Were You': German iTunes Chart Performance". iTunesCharts.net. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  23. ↑ Sawyer, Miranda (July 27, 2013). "Rewind radio: If I Were You; TED Radio Hour; Stuff You Should Know; Stuff Mom Never Told You; Desert Island Discs – review". The Guardian . Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  24. ↑ Tabachnik, Sam. "Need expert advice? Don't ask Jake and Amir". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  25. ↑ Culver, Kayla (September 30, 2013). "'If I Were You'". The Concordian. Concordia College. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  26. ↑ "If I Were You Show". If I Were You. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  27. ↑ "If I Were You". iTunes . Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Episode 2: Bounce". If I Were You. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
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