The Bugle: Bugle 4011 – George W Bush Nostalgia

January 7, 2017 12:27 PM

Brexit resignations, Trump tantrums and MASSIVE CHICKEN NEWS.

Nish reveals the name he was assigned by the Masai. Andy embarks on a pun run.

posted by mandolin conspiracy (7 comments total)

Following on jazon's comment about the previous episode, I feel like Nish Kumar is really stepping up. He was bringing that Oliver-esque energy/outraged incredulity to it. There was some of that great back-and-forth during the pun run.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:29 PM on January 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm only part-way through the episode but Nish is becoming my favorite of the rotating panel of co-hosts. He sounds more comfortable, is able to give-and-take smoothly, and there aren't as many awkward pauses as they wait to see who'll keep a big going. Andy seems more at ease as well, earlier episodes felt he was really trying too hard to keep the "Bugle Magic" going.

I hope Andy is able to settle down more with his other co-hosts; the Bugle format works but he sometimes gets in his own way.

Good to know about the pun-run, I can brace myself when I finish listening.
posted by jazon at 10:48 AM on January 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Having the arbitarily Russian (???) chicken deliver the pun run by proxy was pretty good.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:45 PM on January 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Chicken pun run, yes.

I think Nish may be my favorite co-host too, although I have a lingering worry that this is because he feels the most John Oliver-ey in his exchanges with Andy; it's a comfortable routine, but the Bugle really needs to escape John's shadow.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:14 AM on January 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think Nish may be my favorite co-host too, although I have a lingering worry that this is because he feels the most John Oliver-ey in his exchanges with Andy; it's a comfortable routine, but the Bugle really needs to escape John's shadow.

Totally agree. My first listen to (and wellspring of my subsequent undying devotion to) The Bugle was episode 99, aka "Silvio Berslusconi was smashed in the face with a minatiure replica of the Milan Cathedral" (this incident)*, so I need to temper my nostalgia with seeing where this can go while changing gears and switching up co-hosts.

The subject matter is gonna be there for all sorts of "ridiculous news now" until the end of time at this point. I really like Zaltzman - but he shines when playing off/with a sidekick with exactly the right give-and-take. Seems like this is going in the right direction in terms of finding that level, though, what with the firehose of incoming...material.

* When I listened to that Bugle episode, I was doing some household chores, and had headphones in. I was stumbling around the living room howling, in absolute tears of laughter, and my husband yelled down the stairs "Are you o.k.? What's going on?" I was just like "Silvio Berlusconi...aw fuck..." [more gales of laughter].
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:53 PM on January 9, 2017

I like the Bugle because of its British sense of humor that the Zaltzman/Oliver team really honed over time. If Andy can shift over and let the co-host stable shine, adjusting for each person's individual voice and sensibilities, then I think the podcast will be in good shape.

Being under the Radiotopia umbrella may help with stability as well, though Andy reading promo copy is very, very odd. Maybe Chris should read the sponsor blurbs and let Andy handle focus on the Satire?
posted by jazon at 7:34 AM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]

RE the chemistry- if I remember correctly Nish is in the studio with Andy here, so non-verbal clues may be enabling this rapport (while others have been remote). Agree that Nish is Oliver-esque, but I feel this works- especially when Nish acts as a proxy for the audience in decrying, while chuckling, at the pun-runs.
posted by Gratishades at 6:16 AM on January 11, 2017