WTF with Marc Maron

Last updated

WTF with Marc Maron
WTF with Marc Maron.png
Podcast artwork
Presentation
Hosted by Marc Maron
Genre
Language American English
UpdatesSemiweekly: Mon. & Thurs.
Length60–120 minutes
Country of origin United States
Production
ProductionBrendan McDonald
Audio format MP3
No. of episodes1,686  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Publication
Original releaseSeptember 1, 2009 (2009-09-01) –
October 13, 2025 (2025-10-13)
Ratings4.19/5  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Provider Acast [1]
Related
Website www.wtfpod.com

WTF with Marc Maron is a podcast and syndicated radio show that was hosted by the American stand-up comedian Marc Maron. It was launched on September 1, 2009 and ended on October 13, 2025 after 1,686 episodes, and aired weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. The show was produced by Maron's former Air America colleague Brendan McDonald.

Contents

Background

The show's title stems from the slang abbreviation WTF (for "What the fuck?"). WTF launched in September 2009 following the cancellation of Maron's Air America terrestrial radio program Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder . Maron retained his Air America building keycard and, without permission, used their studios to record the first several episodes of WTF.

After the first episodes, Maron moved from New York to California. Most episodes are generally recorded in Maron's home garage, nicknamed "the Cat Ranch", in Los Angeles. He ends most podcasts with the phrase "Boomer lives" in honor of a cat he brought from New York who went missing. The phrase became a hashtag and his production company name. [2]

Occasionally shows are recorded in Maron's various hotel rooms (while on the road performing stand-up), the offices of his guests, or other locations. Every show opens with an audio sample of one of Maron's lines from the film Almost Famous : "Lock the gates!" [3]

WTF began being distributed to radio by Public Radio Exchange in 2012. [4] On the episode released on June 2, 2025, Maron announced that WTF would end later that year. [5] Maron interviewed Barack Obama again for the final episode, released on October 13, 2025. [6]

Reception

WTF has received generally positive reviews, including positive write-ups in The New York Times [7] and Entertainment Weekly. [8] On average, it receives over 443,000 downloads per episode, with the show purportedly surpassing 600 million downloads by July 2022. [1] In 2014, Rolling Stone listed WTF #1 on their list of The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now. [9] In 2022, the episode featuring Robin Williams from April 26, 2010, was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," becoming the first recording from the 2010s to be inducted. [10] [11]

Awards

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2015 Academy of Podcasters Best Comedy Podcast Finalist [12]
2016 Won [13]
2017 Finalist [14]
2019 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Best Comedy Podcast Nominated [15]
2021 Ambies Governors' Award Won [16] [17]

Notable podcasts

Episode 67: Robin Williams (April 26, 2010), [18]
Remembering Robin Williams (August 11, 2014): [19]
Williams discusses contemplating suicide. [20] In response to the news of Williams' death on August 11, 2014, Maron reposted the original conversation later that day—complete with new host segments describing how much the episode had shaped the entire show and impacted his own personal life. In 2022, this episode was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. [10] [11]
Episode 75: Carlos Mencia (May 24, 2010), [21]
Episode 76: Willie Barcena / Steve Treviño / Carlos responds (May 27, 2010): [22]
Mencia discusses the accusations of plagiarism that had been following him since a 2005 post by Joe Rogan. After the recording session, Maron thought that "something didn't feel right," and the very next episode began with interviews with comedians Willie Barcena and Steve Treviño, who both offered accounts of Mencia stealing material. Maron contacted Mencia for a rebuttal prior to its release and he immediately returned for a reprise which aired as the last segment of that episode. In it, he admits to "having an agenda" when recording the initial interview, and discusses the allegations and his reputation in a much less guarded and more forthright manner. [23]
Episode 111: Louis CK part 1 (October 4, 2010), [24]
Episode 112: Louis CK part 2 (October 7, 2010): [25]
A two-episode interview during which Louis C.K. and Maron publicly reveal that they previously had a falling out, then discuss and eventually rekindle their old friendship. During the podcast, C.K. became audibly emotional when talking about the birth of his first daughter. Slate called the interview the greatest podcast episode of all time in a 2014 list. [26] [27]
Episode 141: Kevin Smith (January 17, 2011): [28]
Smith details his acrimonious working relationship with Bruce Willis on the set of his film Cop Out , which triggered a public feud between the two of them. [29] [30]
Episode 145: Gallagher (January 31, 2011): [31]
Gallagher walks out mid-interview after Maron broaches the subject of the recent accusations of Gallagher's material as being racist and homophobic, which sparked a heated argument. [32]
Episode 190: Todd Hanson (July 7, 2011): [33]
Hanson gives a detailed account of his suicide attempt in a Brooklyn hotel room and speaks about his lifelong struggle with depression. [34]
Episode 245: Todd Glass (January 16, 2012): [35]
Glass comes out publicly for the first time as gay. [36]
Episode 477: Kevin Macdonald / Kevin McDonald (March 10, 2014): [37]
When Maron's assistant gauges his interest in interviewing "Kevin McDonald" for an upcoming episode, Maron, an avowed fan of The Kids In The Hall comedy troupe quickly gives his assent. However on the day of the interview, Maron is greeted by a publicist who informs him that her client is participating primarily to promote his movie. Though surprised, he thinks little of it, as he rarely researches or prepares extensively before interviews. His surprise is justified when the interviewee that arrives a short time later is not the Canadian comedian he'd expected, but instead a Scottish film director he'd never heard of: Kevin Macdonald.

Since the director had arrived early, Maron excused himself to research and prepare in private and therein learned that the man's filmography included The Last King of Scotland , which he had seen, and another he'd heard of, Being Mick , and set about using what he'd learned as a starting point for the conversation.The resulting interview was shorter than a typical episode, however, and did not air immediately. Later, while performing in Los Angeles, Maron had a chance encounter with Kevin McDonald and personally invited him to interview, proposing that it serve as a second segment of the same episode. McDonald agreed, noting that he had never met the director but they were both represented by William Morris Agency, and this was not their first mix up (the Internal Revenue Service had previously made the same mistake). [38]
Episode 613: President Barack Obama (June 22, 2015): [39]
Obama records an episode in Maron's garage after the Charleston church shooting, receiving extra attention due to Obama's use of the word "nigger" when discussing racism in America. [40] [41]
Episode 653: Lorne Michaels (November 9, 2015): [42]
The two-hour interview with the creator of Saturday Night Live had added significance owing to Maron's frequent references throughout the podcast to SNL and its creators, along with the impact of his own rejection from being hired for SNL in the mid-1990s. [43]
Remembering Jerry Lewis (August 20, 2017): [44]
A previously unreleased recording of an interview with Jerry Lewis from the prior August that had been planned as a full episode. When Lewis abruptly ended the show without explanation after less than a half-hour had elapsed, Maron opted not to release any of it to spare the elderly comic any humiliation. After Lewis' death was announced on August 20, 2017, the full recording was released as a special episode of the podcast later that day. [45]
Episode 849: Pete Davidson (September 25, 2017): [46]
Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson publicly acknowledges his diagnosis and treatment for borderline personality disorder for the first time. [47]
Episode 995: Mandy Moore (February 18, 2019): [48]
Actress and singer Mandy Moore admits that her marriage to musician Ryan Adams that ended in divorce in 2015 had an "entirely unhealthy dynamic" and subjected her to frequent emotional abuse. [49]
Episode 1,091: Josh Klinghoffer (January 23, 2020): [50]
In his first public interview since leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, former lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer discusses the circumstances surrounding his abrupt ouster after a dozen years as part of the popular rock band. [51]
Episode 1,299: Peter Dinklage (January 24, 2022): [52]
Dinklage's appearance attracted media attention as a result of his criticism of Disney's then-upcoming remake of Snow White , commenting on the "backwards" depiction of the Seven Dwarfs and accusing them of hypocrisy in using the film to promote progressive values. [53]
Episode 1,686: Barack Obama (October 13, 2025): [54]
In the last episode Obama returned to the program, this time recorded at Washington D.C.. Over the course of an hour-long interview, the two spoke about the state of the world and how to stay optimistic amid political strife and chaos. [55]

References

  1. 1 2 Berman, Marc (July 28, 2022). "Pioneering The Podcast: 'WTF With Marc Maron' Celebrates 13 Years With A New Partnership With Acast". Forbes . Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ Bailey, Jason (June 12, 2013). "Interview: Marc Maron on Life at the "Cat Ranch"". Flavorwire. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  3. ↑ Movieclips (October 11, 2011). Almost Famous (5/9) Movie CLIP - Do You Wanna Buy a Gate? (2000) HD. YouTube. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  4. ↑ Schwartz, Terri (July 19, 2012). "Marc Maron's podcast headed to public radio". IFC . Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ Barco, Mandalit del (June 2, 2025). "Marc Maron ends iconic podcast after 16 years: 'We're burnt out'". NPR . Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  6. ↑ Dalton, Andrew (October 13, 2025). "Marc Maron ends his podcast with final guest Barack Obama after 16 years and nearly 1,700 episodes". AP News. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ Saltzstein, Dan (January 6, 2011). "The Comic Who Explores Comedy's Darkest Side" . The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ Rottenburg, Josh (June 24, 2011). "Marc Maron: The comedian's comedian". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Listen Up: The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now". Rolling Stone . May 8, 2014. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025. Whether digging in the dirt or allowing subjects room to reveal themselves, Maron innately knows how to move a conversation along better than anyone else, and when getting a laugh might just get listeners closer to the truth.
  10. 1 2 Zongker, Brett; Leggett, Steve; Knobel, Leah (April 13, 2022). "National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022". Library of Congress Newsroom. National Recording Registry. ISSN   0731-3527. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Ulaby, Neda (April 13, 2022). "The Library of Congress is preserving these major historical recordings for posterity". NPR . Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  12. ↑ "2015 AofP Winners". Academy of Podcasters. Podcast Movement. June 10, 2015. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  13. ↑ "2016 AofP Winners". Academy of Podcasters. Podcast Movement. July 6, 2016. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Awards". Academy of Podcasters. Podcast Movement. August 23, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  15. ↑ Fields, Taylor (October 22, 2018). "iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: See The Full List of Nominees". iHeart . Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  16. ↑ Garvey, Marianne (April 12, 2021). "'WTF With Marc Maron' awarded the Governors Award by The Podcast Academy". CNN . Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Marc Maron to Accept Top Accolade". The Ambies® — Awards for Excellence in Audio. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  18. ↑ Marc Maron (April 26, 2010). "Episode 67 - Robin Williams" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  19. ↑ Marc Maron (August 11, 2014). "Remembering Robin Williams" (MP3). WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original (MP3) on August 12, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  20. ↑ Avins, Jenni (August 12, 2014). "Listen to Robin Williams 'interview' himself about the time he considered suicide". Quartz . Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  21. ↑ Marc Maron (May 24, 2010). "Episode 75 - Carlos Mencia" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  22. ↑ Marc Maron (May 27, 2010). "Episode 76 - Willie Barcena / Steve Trevino / Carlos responds" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  23. ↑ Stranahan, Lee (May 25, 2011). "Marc Maron Enters Mind of Carlos Mencia, Then Has Trouble Leaving". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  24. ↑ Marc Maron (October 4, 2010). "Episode 111 - Louis CK part 1" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  25. ↑ Marc Maron (October 7, 2010). "Episode 112 - Louis CK part 2" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  26. ↑ Haglund, David; Onion, Rebecca (December 14, 2014). "Best podcast episodes ever: The 25 best from Serial to the Ricky Gervais Show". Slate . Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  27. ↑ Gadino, Dylan P. (May 18, 2012). "Marc Maron shooting scenes for 'Louie' so we transcribed the famous friendship chat from WTF". Laughspin. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  28. ↑ Marc Maron (January 17, 2011). "Episode 141 - Kevin Smith" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  29. ↑ Sharf, Zack (March 30, 2022). "Kevin Smith Apologizes to Bruce Willis Over Petty 'Cop Out' Complaints: 'I Feel Like an A–hole'". Variety . Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  30. ↑ Ferrier, Aimee (January 29, 2023). "Exploring the feud between Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith". Far Out Magazine. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  31. ↑ Marc Maron (January 31, 2011). "Episode 145 - Gallagher" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  32. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (November 16, 2015). "That Time Gallagher Displayed His True Awfulness and Stormed Out on Marc Maron". Vulture . Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  33. ↑ Marc Maron (July 7, 2011). "Episode 190 - Todd Hanson" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  34. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (June 1, 2015). "What Made Todd Hanson's Episode of 'WTF' One of the Most Powerful Podcast Episodes Ever". Vulture . Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  35. ↑ Marc Maron (January 16, 2012). "Episode 245 - Todd Glass" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  36. ↑ Luippold, Ross (January 16, 2012). "Beloved Comedian Comes Out As Gay On 'WTF'". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  37. ↑ Marc Maron (March 10, 2014). "Episode 477 - Kevin Macdonald / Kevin McDonald" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  38. ↑ Horst, Carole (December 12, 2013). "Marc Maron's Morning Scramble Was a True 'WTF' Moment". Variety . Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  39. ↑ Marc Maron (June 22, 2015). "Episode 613 - President Barack Obama" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  40. ↑ Larson, Sarah (June 22, 2015). ""WTF" with Barack Obama". The New Yorker . ISSN   0028-792X. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  41. ↑ Zaru, Deena (June 22, 2015). "Obama uses N-word, says we are 'not cured' of racism". CNN . Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  42. ↑ Marc Maron (November 9, 2015). "Episode 653 - Lorne Michaels" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on November 12, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  43. ↑ Love, Matthew (November 9, 2015). "10 Things We Learned from Lorne Michaels' WTF Interview". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  44. ↑ Marc Maron (August 20, 2017). "Remembering Jerry Lewis" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  45. ↑ Ross, Martha (August 21, 2017). "Jerry Lewis was difficult but awkwardly hilarious in his final interviews". The Mercury News . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2025. Finally, Lewis sat down with comedian Marc Maron last August for Maron's WTF podcast. […] But then, midway through the interview, Lewis suddenly decided to bail out with no explanation.
  46. ↑ Marc Maron (September 25, 2017). "Episode 849 - Pete Davidson" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  47. ↑ Huff, Lauren (September 26, 2017). "'SNL' Star Pete Davidson Reveals Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  48. ↑ Marc Maron (February 18, 2019). "Episode 995 - Mandy Moore" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  49. ↑ Stiernberg, Bonnie (February 18, 2019). "Mandy Moore Addresses Ryan Adams Relationship on Marc Maron's 'WTF' Podcast". Billboard . Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  50. ↑ Marc Maron (January 23, 2020). "Episode 1091 - Josh Klinghoffer" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  51. ↑ DeVille, Chris (January 23, 2020). "Josh Klinghoffer Calls Red Hot Chili Peppers Ouster "A Complete Shock But Not A Surprise"". Stereogum . Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  52. ↑ Marc Maron (January 24, 2022). "Episode 1299 - Peter Dinklage" . WTF with Marc Maron (Podcast). Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  53. ↑ Salam, Maya (January 25, 2022). "Peter Dinklage Calls Disney's 'Snow White' Remake 'Backward'". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  54. ↑ McDonald, Brendan (October 13, 2025). "Episode 1686 - Barack Obama". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  55. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (October 13, 2025). "Marc Maron Ends 'WTF' Podcast With Barack Obama Giving Him Advice: 'Be a Little Brain-Dead for a While' and 'Don't Rush' Into What's Next". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2025.


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