Tune in and Dropout: CollegeHumor delves deep into the world of podcasting

Dropout TV’s five fresh podcasts for every corner of the internet

By Jacey Gibb, Distribution Manager

The jokesters over at CollegeHumor launched their own comedy streaming platform Dropout TV. I’m here to tell you if their exclusive content is worth the subscription fee.

Considering how long CollegeHumor’s been in the game, it’s impressive that they’ve only recently jumped into the overcrowded pool of podcasting.

Seriously, as a company that’s been around since 1999, the only podcast I could find before this most recent slate that even comes close is If I Were You, which is hosted by CH alumni Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld. However, CollegeHumor is on board with the podcasting renaissance and they have a diverse slate that’s ready for eager earbuds. Here is a rundown of the five podcasts being offered on CollegeHumor’s new streaming service Dropout.

The CollegeHumor Podcast

Head writer Mike Trapp and various cast and crew members discuss rejected sketch ideas, answer questions from fans, and perhaps most importantly, roast their coworkers about their weird workplace habits.

Erotic Book Club

Cohosts Rekha Shankar and Jessica Ross discuss whatever offerings the deepest, most sexually repressed corners of the internet have tucked under the mattress.

Adventuring Academy

Brennan Lee Mulligan (host of the excellent Dropout show Dimension 20) continues his crusade as resident roleplaying expert with a podcast on advice for beginners and veterans alike.

Raph’s Hall of Fame

Join cast member Raphael Chestang as he dives into the “funny, moving, and downright weird side of sports,” which I promise is more interesting than it sounds.

Tales from the Closet

Ally Beardsley interviews members of the LGBTQ+ community from before they were out, all while hanging out on a dungeon-esque set.

I opted not to assign a numerical rating for these shows, simply because of how much they vary from Dropout’s other exclusives. For one, Trapp mentions in the first episode of The CollegeHumor Podcast that people could be listening either online or through the Dropout TV app, so I assume that audio-only versions of each podcast will be making their way online in the near future. Currently, the only place to listen to them is via their video format exclusive to Dropout. The shows are also listed under the “Podcasts” banner on the website, so I’m going to keep classifying them as such.

Here’s the thing: Rarely have I ever listened to a podcast and thought to myself, “Man, I wish I could see the people talking for an hour instead of just listening to it!” It’s cool seeing the cast members for a few moments, but much like any other podcast, I quickly relegated it to background noise while cooking dinner or any other menial task. (Bonus marks to Erotic Book Club and Tales from the Closet though for their unique set backgrounds that aren’t just the CollegeHumor office.)

It’s no fault of the podcasts themselves. The shows are very entertaining, with The CollegeHumor Podcast especially being a neat opportunity to see the cast members out-of-character and simply interacting with each other. I just don’t want to watch them do it for an hour when it can be playing during my morning commute instead.

All in all, the video versions of CH’s original podcasts are nice fodder for the Dropout TV platform, but they don’t offer much in the way of viewing. I look forward to when the episodes become available on other podcasting platforms so they’re easier to listen to.