In Defense

Actor and writer Neal Kelley defends his preference of not trying new things and maintaining a constant routine!

Ben Clausen gushes with host Joey Bergren about a unique action movie directing duo that never gets their proper respect; Neveldine/Taylor!

Dead Meat’s very own host James A Janisse discusses his unwavering love of The Venture Bros and explains why it’s an underappreciated gem!

Improviser and WhatsACreative strategist/producer Rian Kountzhouse (@Kountzit, Train Caboose & Coconut Club) brings his brilliant brain to the studio to discuss his love of the CNBC business advice show, The Profit. He talks about the format of the show and the advice host Marcus Lemonis has given that Rian has brought back to his personal and professional life! We also discuss D&D, colorblindness, Rian’s excellence in musical improv, and a LOT of inside baseball talk with regards to the improv comedy scene in Los Angeles! Listen carefully and you might even hear a chair collapse under the weight of your beloved host!

In another thrilling minisode, Joey goes on an exciting solo mission to try out those flavored water enhancers Erin Byrne discussed on her episode (Artificial Sweeteners with Erin Byrne). Was Erin right in her assessment? Will Joey enjoy the orange tangerine? There’s only one way to find out.

Comedian and fellow podcaster CAS SEIBOLD (@crystal_palace_queen, Almost Famous podcast) starts a riveting, honest discussion about a topic near and dear to me: the benefits of living an optimistic life! While cynicism seems hip and cool, Caitlin defends their seemingly unpopular choice to stay present and choose their own fate. We also discuss beauty school, varicose veins, soothsayers, and we get deep on science, religion, and their relationship to one another!

Funniest guy I know Ben Clausen (@bendavidclausen) trolls his way through another episode of In Defense! Recorded slightly in the past, which is noted a million times in the first 15 minutes, Ben and I discuss a band that means a great deal to the two of us, but doesn’t seem to get the recognition they truly deserve: New Jersey’s own Gaslight Anthem. We talk about our favorite albums and play a couple snippets of our favorite tracks, but before that, we talk about other episodes of the podcast, Valerian, the perfect movie length, and Ben discloses his secret to reading books faster!

First time podcast guest DEVIN ROSSINSKY (@devin_rossinsky) wants to talk about something different but we pivot into his LIFE WITHOUT COFFEE. He talks about how he just prefers to be more tired overall and how he rarely tries to fight his sleepiness in any other ways, as well as his opinions on tea, naps, energy drinks, and exercise. We also talk short form improv, friendships with RAs in college, how we consume hard alcohol, cigarettes, and our opinions on naps!

We finally discuss the topic that seems to be right there in the open! Dear friend Harri Woliner (@TheTrueHman) goes into great detail about his somewhat recent, but incredibly strong obsession with professional wrestling! We talk about various types (WWE, Lucha Underground), how Harri got into it in his 20s, amazing stunts and injuries from wrestling performances, and why you should enjoy wrestling as well! Harri also tells his personal connection with The Best Show, which is just the coolest!

Father of the host (and therefore Father of the Show) Brad Bergren makes his In Defense debut to defend his love of Live from Daryl’s House, a show featuring Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates fame performing with other famous music acts. We discuss his fascination of the show despite its niche market, why we love live music and talented performers, and why you, yes you, should be watching this show.

Return guest and funniest guy I know Ben Clausen (@bendavidclausen) makes his way back onto the program to share another unique and obscure love of his: relatively unknown Power Rangers series, specifically American production Power Rangers RPM and original Japanese production Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. As Ben notes multiple times, if you only ever watched Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, just wait until you see how insane this show really is. We go into detail about these two series, what makes them fun, and why they’re still worth checking out. We also talk necklaces, Fast and Furious, and we do some name dropping of the E Street Band!

Actress/comedian/multihyphenate Alyssa Sabo (@alyssa_sabo) makes her In Defense debut to share her unique connection to the music, movies, fashion, and overall attitude of the 1980s! She explains when she first felt the connection and how she implements it into her daily life! We also discuss numbers, names, toes, karaoke, and rollerblading!

Comedian and comedy producer Olivia Aguilar (@aguilarolivia) makes her debut on the show to discuss the gigantic Southern California music festival Coachella! Olivia is a huge fan and frequent attendee, and she does her best to explain why it’s a better festival than I give it credit for. We also talk about Nintendo games, cultural appropriation, the meaning of “A is for Aguilar,” and we give a bunch of unsolicited advice to teens!  

Returning champ Matthew Kane (@MattKANEEE) talks me through the expansive, multimedia universe that is the alternative rock band Coheed and Cambria. Matt details their comic books, their overarching storylines, their symbology, and every other insane aspect you had no idea went into being a modern prog band. It’s nerdy! Get over it!

Friends of the show and actors extraordinaire Anthony Mendola and Justin Sherman (@shermancomedy) return to the program to defend their underrated and batshit insane webseries Spankle and Hodge (while also promoting the new season). They discuss why they do the crazy things they do in the show and what drives their comedy, but before that, we discuss cars, cookies, compliments, sound effects in commercials, sushi, and we drink alcohol!   Their show can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/SpankleAndHodge