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Sideshow

A bi-weekly podcast about art and culture (and especially the stuff in between). Studio 360’s Sean Rameswaram talks to the people who make the memes.

Behind the Sideshow

#36: The Internet Is Forever

For his final episode, Sean Rameswaram traces the path of creative work he has personally posted, from blogging to sketch comedy videos to a truly ill rap posse. To close out the show, he gets the posse back together for one last song.

Thanks, Obama

#35 – “Thanks, Obama” (with Barack Obama?!)

Political memes come and go, but “Thanks, Obama” has stuck around for seven years. Sean Rameswaram discusses all those videos, GIFs, and tweets with Nona Willis Aronowitz from Talking Points Memo and Barack Obama from the White House?!!

Hodor

#34 – How Hodor Became the Heart of “Game of Thrones”

Like Sailor Moon and Ron Swanson before him, Hodor belongs to a special league of TV characters who have found life far beyond their TV worlds online. Sean Rameswaram speaks with Kristian Nairn, who plays the only lovable character on “Game of Thrones.”

That funky monkey

#33 – Hip-Hop, 40s, and the Myth of the Brass Monkey

In the mid-90s, rappers from the East Coast to the West convinced a generation to consume malt liquor in “40s.” Sean Rameswaram speaks with food writer Besha Rodell and Mike D from the Beastie Boys, who says he doesn’t deserve the blame.

Alexander, Wolff, and Seinfeld

#32 – Jonathan Wolff Slapped the Bass for Seinfeld and the Internet Can’t Thank Him Enough

Jonathan Wolff is the Michael Jordan of TV theme songs. He’s written over 70, from “Who’s the Boss?” to “The Hughleys.” Sean Rameswaram speaks to Wolff about his incredible career and the internet’s endless mashups of his iconic “Seinfeld” theme.

David Sandberg's "Kung Fury"

#31 – How “Kung Fury” Went from Karate Joke to Kickstarter to Cannes

When David Sandberg posted a trailer featuring karate, time travel, robots, dinosaurs, David Hasselhoff, Hitler and a unicorn to YouTube, he had no idea he would end up taking his film to Cannes. No one did. Sean Rameswaram speaks to the writer, director, and star of “Kung Fury.”

Howard Kremer and Zooey Deschanel learning about "Summah"

#30: Teach Me How to Summah (feat. Howard Kremer)

Howard Kremer has built a comedy empire on one memorable theme: “summah.” He teaches Sean Rameswaram how to properly celebrate the season with songs, stories, and a little bit of yelling.

Mukunda Angulo as our Watchful Protector (Magnolia Pictures)

#29: How a Batman Movie Helped The Wolfpack Escape

The seven siblings featured in the new documentary “The Wolfpack” grew up in New York’s Lower East Side, but they were raised almost completely shut off from the outside world. Despite and because of these strange circumstances, they became completely obsessed with pop culture – in particular, with movies. Sean Rameswaram speaks with two of the Angulo brothers about “The Dark Knight,” the Batman film that made them want to discover the world outside their window.

A scene from "An Act of God"

#28: How God Turned Tweets into a Broadway Show

On the first day, David Javerbaum created @TheTweetofGod. Shortly thereafter, he amassed millions of followers. Now, he’s taking his one-liners to Broadway. Javerbaum, who has also written for “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report,” talks to Sean Rameswaram about how he turned a funny Twitter account into a Broadway show.

Lakshmi Singh wears the hat

#27: The Legend of #Lakshmeme (LIVE)

Since mid-December, Sean Rameswaram has been taking photos of public radio personalities, producers and strangers on the street wearing a hat that that makes an obviously false claim: “I AM LAKSHMI SINGH.” At a live event, NPR newscaster Lakshmi Singh finally wears the hat.