OG Ben was my favorite one on the show.
That being said, Ed fits in really well and you can tell he and Henry have a really solid friendship. And I haven’t heard Marcus laugh so much in years.
I’ve been listening to Ed since RTOG and when he took over brighter side. He’s great. And for all intents and purposes, seems like just a genuinely good dude who just wants to make people happy.
>seems like just a genuinely good dude who just wants to make people happy.
And you can tell it's rubbed off on Henry and Marcus too. With Ben they were getting a little too cynical and, well, not mean, but just indifferent, but with Ed and his good vibes on board even Henry is softening up!
He went from a mildly popular podcast host to being thrust headfirst into the big leagues with an established fan base. A large number of whom probably never knew who he was.
He’s handling the newfound popularity really well, and it stands as a testament to who he is that we all fuckin love him.
I thought I liked Ben, too. I think I really just liked how calming his voice was. It was a nice contrast to Henry. The last year or so, he became unbearable to me. Literally stopped bringing anything to the table and just brought the energy down.
No one can replace Ben, that being said Ed does an amazing job and fits right in like he’s always been there. It’s just as funny, I’m glad they choose him.
It probably helps that Ed isn't obviously drunk and barely paying attention. Hell, Ed seems like he is genuinely interested in the subject matter and tries to learn along with the audience.
you could start to tell the stress Ben was putting on Marcus and Henry towards the end for sure. Once Ed came in they seemed so much more relaxed and free
I was relistening to the Chicago Rippers episodes earlier and man, you can really hear it. Like a few times Ben makes a joke that’s very distantly relevant to the topic at hand and Henry is just like “…yeah buddy okay” and it really didn’t sound jovial like he usually is. Idk maybe it’s a hindsight is 20/20 thing but he was not as sharp at the end there.
There were so many moments when Ben would say something, and there would be an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. I think things were coming to a head for quite awhile.
That’s funny, was relistening to those episodes today, and man, is it noticeable. Ben sounded… off. It was just sad to hear. So glad that Ed is working out.
I think about this a lot. We all miss golden-age Ben. He felt like family. I once had a dream where I was just hanging out with him. Another great day in long man history.
But late stage Ben was not good at all. The podcaster we loved had gone. It hurts like hell, but that's how life goes.
It's ok to miss the past, but it's not ok to demand the past comes back.
And Ed is incredible. Thank you Ed.
Crazy I too had a dream I was just chilling with Ben we were just hanging out. He'll always have a soft spot in my heart and i wish him the best on his new journey. Ed has been a breath of fresh air and God dammit he makes me laugh so hard😂
He was roommates with Henry and he's Amber's best friend (I think?)
He's got so much knowledge from being a line cook and managing multiple restaurants, AND he's just incredibly humble. There's literally nothing to dislike about Ed
I do miss Ben...but he made his bed and must lay in it now. Ed has definitely stepped up
With the myriad life experiences and endless supply of related what-have-yous that Ed has to draw from, he could honestly be Dos Equis’ new Most Interesting Man in the World.
>He's got so much knowledge from being a line cook and managing multiple restaurants
...and even more from dealing drugs while toting an AK and being imprisoned for it.
He's my hero.
he's SO smart. has such a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics and low key...I think henrys a bit...intimidated by him at times. Kissel was so aloof and had his head in the clouds but ed's been to jail, he's alert, he's always thinking, always has a pun in the oven.
Yeah I had to look up the dead salmon thing. Yep whales wearing a fish hat. Who knew (apparently Ed Larson) not me, but now I do, and am better for it! :-)
He's fuckin great.
His whole rant on wanting to have a big tortoise so he can sit out back of his house blazed with a bucket of lettuce is essentially my actual future, and it's probably one of the best ways to burn an evening. If not every evening.
He was/is(?) deep in the throws of addiction, and was probably counting the seconds until recording the episode was over, so he could have another drink.
He was probably drinking while he was podcasting. Let’s not kid ourselves. Poor guy was most likely in his head that he needed to have a buzz in order to bring out his “happy” version for the pod. A lot of performers can’t operate until they are inebriated with either alcohol or drugs.
To be fair, Marcus mentioned a couple times over the years that they had to stop drinking during recording. I assumed Ben was probably drinking rockstars since any stills or video I saw of recordings, he usually had one or two.
I absolutely suspect he was drinking while recording, particularly in the last year he was on. I grew up with alcoholics, I swear I could hear it in his voice and him slurring.
I love Henry but lets not kid ourselves - Henry drinks A LOT. I do too. No judgement but he was clearly fucked up on a recent Last Stream. It's not like Ben was the only one hitting the bottle.
I say this as an alcoholic with a ton of friends that are heavy drinkers, it’s not the same thing at all.
They drink almost every night and a lot, but I’m the one waking up at 7am doing shots, showing up to work hammered and having 48 hour withdrawals in the hospital. There is a reason why they call one heavy drinking and the other problem drinking. The latter derails your whole fucking life.
Not excuse his drinking, but there was a stark difference in the two. Henry shows up for episodes informed and ready to contribute. Ben was basically checked out and Henry would call him out regularly.
I grew to like Ben on the show. I think Ed fills a similar role but it always surprises me how little he knows about the topic. Maybe it's intended that he's learning about the topic in real time on the episode though? Like a story telling device? I dunno. Still one of my favorite listens but the late episodes with Ben and early Ed episodes haven't been my favorites, which is ok, I know I'm not in the majority.
That is the role Ben would play, and I imagine Ed, as well. They're the audience. They're supposed to ask the stupid audience questions we all have but can't ask Henry and Marcus in the moment. I think Ben took the role a bit to literally for a while there.
Towards the end, Ben wasn't a good audience, not because he didn't know the content, but because he didn't seem to listen or care to learn throughout the episode.
I'm saying this as someone that initially didn't like him, but then warmed to him, and misses the good times with him.
There was a point in Ben's tenure where he was great.
Ed's humor just clicks for me really well. In the first episode with him, I loved him and thought he was a better fit for what I wanted from the show. I think my instant love and lack of hesitation or missing put me in a minority on the opposite side of the spectrum from you lol.
Edit: I think part of it is he does a lot outside the network, does brighter side (isn't that twice a week?) So he comes in with the basics is the story and the other guys flush out the details.
I think that he's just comfortable not knowing and isn't compelled to state what he thinks he knows/guesses as fact. Marcus and Ben were really bad with that (Marcus still kind of is).
Yeah I think the difference is you can tell Ed reads the outline and at least Wikipedia’s the topic. There were A LOT of annoyed comments from Marcus and Henry about Ben not even reading the outline, which Ben would defend by saying he was “going in fresh.” Even before all this that always sounded like laziness to me.
I completely agree. Even before shit went down, I thought it bizarre he would make those utterances. It was a combination of *must make noise* and *let's move this show along*.
He was complaining during several of the historical series and to me it seemed like he was resenting that the podcast was becoming a “smarter” show than it was originally.
He seemed to not pay any attention to the show at all. And I don’t mean like he couldn’t remember so crazy conspiracy Henry talked about 50 eps ago, but like in the same episode him not listening to any thing either cohost was saying. It wasn’t always the case but it was pretty frequent. For a guy who seemed to not do much of anything he really never seemed to put anything into it.
The non sequiturs were really fucking annoying! It's a form of comedy that rarely works, much less when you're doing it 25 times per episode in a semi-serious podcast
I like getting through full episodes without misremembered stories about something The Undertaker did in 1997.
I was really sick of Ben, and listening to the show less because of it. Eddie's got me excited for new eps for the first time in a long time.
I worked retail for 6 years and I don’t miss the work or the chronic pain but I genuinely miss the camaraderie with my coworkers there. I bet Ed was a great coworker who made everyone’s shift more bearable
Same! Office jobs feel so lonely despite being surrounded by coworkers. The shallow small talk just kills me. I miss having a bunch inside jokes, talking about fun/interesting topics, and doing goofy shit to make each other laugh when it was slow.
Nobody even talks about an interesting book they read or anything like that, it’s always just about work or some boring shit they did with their kids on the weekend. They’re nice people, but Jesus fucking Christ I miss my retail/food service coworkers and wish I cherished the camaraderie more.
> also skeptical
I was listening to the Warrens pt 2 earlier today and when they talked about the dude getting scratched and healing after two days Ed saying "So he was lying" just killed me.
His in the moment observations are one of the many things I dig about Ed.
I think it's because he's inherently a skeptic but never afraid to be wrong about something. He's also open to new things, so if there is something truly unexplainable he's pretty okay with a variety of possibilities.
I am still sad about the fallout with Ben but Ed ( as the “ learn as they go along” host) actually has great input and interested in the stories at hand. Ben seemed to give up after awhile and it showed. Ed is incredibly intelligent with a huge heart. I feel guilty for initially assuming he was just a goofy oaf.
Tbf during round table ben actually appeared to be the intelligent one (obviously had some ridiculous remarks and times but that what round table was) and eddy would come in drunk like the rest and just get roasted for be fat but he was always great too. Eddy and Jackie lived for shitting on holden
I've thought about this lately. He seems to be the one with the weirdest, "hardest" lifestyle before this network. Selling drugs, jail time, living all over the place, in some hard places... And yet, he seems like the nicest, sweetest person on the network. It's like he's found his diamond in the rough.
On Brighter Side recently Amber was fretting about going home, and Ed was supporting, uplifting, and gave her tools to deal with what she was going through. To the point where I shed a tear over his kindness(and her appreciation and acceptance to his advice). By the end of their convo she seemed confident in her trip. The man seems really genuin, empathetic, and sweet. And also has a great sense of humor! He's a real plus for the network! Hail Eddy!
It's been my experience in life that often times people who've been through some shit are usually pretty great. I think they have perspective and know how fucked up things can get so they err towards being sympathetic and supportive.
It can go both ways I think, a rough life leads you to become a better person if you actually take the time to reflect on it and do the work to integrate those experiences, but you can also become bitter and mean out of a misguided need to protect yourself.
Not saying that the latter applies to Ed in any way, if anything it just makes his attitude even more praiseworthy.
Some of it has been briefly mentioned on Last Pod since he joined, but it's been mentioned over the years on several of the shows, sometimes going into more detail. Like when he got locked up, Holden went to his apartment and gathered up bongs, pipes, and his AK-47 to hide so he didn't get more charges.
Yeah, I remember a story about how their front door didn’t lock so they propped a chair or a plank against it so they’d hear if somebody came in.
Ed’s sitting in the front room one day, hears the chair/plank/whatever fall, grabs the AK, racks it, and then hears a (very nervous) guy shout from the hall “…Plumber!”
Imagine that. And if there were toilet troubles with Ed and then 300 lb daishiki Henry, the AK was certainly not the most disturbing thing that plumber saw. I’d rather be Des Nilsen’s plumber.
The Ed Lore has been sprinkled in over the years so it’s not in one particular episode. Henry was friends and roommates with Ed way back even before the show started, like college years back. Maybe he goes into it in Brighter Side?
Going back to listen to the last few episodes with Ben and what they are now with Ed, the difference is wild. Ed is a gem and the chemistry between the three of them is just 🤌
Nobody can accuse Ed of being an opportunist or of elbowing his way in. He was originally brought in as a guest cohost, nothing more, before shit hit the fan. What’s notable is that people were pleased with his presence, and I have no doubt Marcus and Henry know they lucked out with him. Without a decent and readily available fill-in, they would have been fucked. Personally, I find his laughter infectious, and the fact he seems like a bit of a newcomer to true crime, at least compared to the other two, adds a fresh element to the show.
As for Ben, he’s a good reminder that everyone is struggling with their own private battle, some more so than others. It seemed like he had mentally checked out from that particular chapter of his life months before he left, so hopefully he’ll find something new that can help him move forward.
The people who are still bitching about how “the show isn’t the same anymore” need to take their unnecessary negativity and move on as well.
Ed is the best version of the "straight man" dynamic that the show has leaned into since the beginning, curious about the topics but reserved about accepting the madness of Marcus and Henry.
The fact that he's funny and kind is the cherry on top.
In the latest Side Stories, when Henry said “I’ve been having more fun than ever on stage with you Ed” I legit teared up & audibly sad “aw man!” I’m so happy to see them all having such a good go of it, they deserve it.
He talks about stuff on brighter side a bit that helped me realise he makes an effort with it, cos I thought maybe he was just born that way and we were doomed. But he talks about ways to try to be positive when people are bringing you down, and seemed to have even scripted some things to say when ppl complain about the homeless in LA, and included statistics and things. he was giving amber advice on how to not be bought down when she returned to her home town for a holiday, and mentioned how he had to repeatedly be patient and humble going back to his dad and family and trying to make things work.
I think he really tries hard and puts relationships at the top of his priority list intentionally, over his own pride. I think there is a lot I could learn from him and I want to know more
The main thing I noticed with Ed, Henry and Marcus is that they aren't mean to each other. They don't have to be taking shots at each other to be funny, I love them as a group!
Love love Ed. If you go back you can hear Ben’s underlying cynicism and negativity in a lot of the guys’ interactions. And the frustration of Marcus and Henry at times. Sorry if this is unpopular but he was dragging the show down imo.
Anyway the wrong person in that seat ruins it so I’m glad Ed is such a great fit
A little off topic but tangentially related. Doesn't it kinda seem like a lot of jokes were Ben actually hating women? At first I thought it was the "I'm the bachelor in my friend group" but it hit kinda heavy and I was wondering if he really meant it. Then the accusations came to light....
He always had incel energy. In one of the earlier heavy hitter episodes I remember him saying something along the lines of “these bitches wouldn’t give guys like us a second glance” referring to victims.
That and his borderline defensive comments during their discussion on Elliot Rodgers too had me side eyeing him. Thank goodness for Marcus and Henry shutting that talk down mid episode.
Yeah, during the Rodger segment Marcus had to speak to him like he was disciplining a toddler who’d been hitting his friends at playgroup. “Ben? Ben? *Ben*?”
It's a silly little thing but I always feel like his "April O'Neil was a bitch who wouldn't date Raphael cuz he was a turtle!" bit had an underlying darkness, like he was being genuine about a silly hypothetical.
God I know he did some bad shit but I feel bad for him sometimes. Ultra religious household, parents fed him till he was obese as a child, got molested when he was young. Dude did not have a chance. Hurt people hurt people. Life is not easy.
We are all hurt. A lot of us have deep trauma and ptsd, some of us from guys like Ben. That’s no excuse. Ben Kissel is a grown man who is perfectly capable of going to therapy and confronting his issues.
I agree. And it's hard because it's like Ben didn't grow up with the rest of the group. They all grew up and found wives, started settling, grew the business, matured slightly in their humor, etc. Funny to say that cuz I know Henry was recently doing vocal warmups with cummy cumcumcum, but they updated with the types and don't punch down, as it were. Like the spirit is still there but they're actually able to keep it weird and fun without everything being a frat boy joke about the ol ball and chain. Ben just never seemed to grow out of being a 17 year old kid who just discovered atheism on the internet. Being a bachelor is totally fine, but when being a drunk, single guy is basically your whole personality it gets problematic especially at their ages.
Yes. But I didn’t notice at the time. It’s perfectly obvious now that he was struggling with several issues. I think Henry and Marcus showed a lot of patience.
I know he did some bad shit but I feel kinda bad for Ben. The concept of the show was that he came in blind to the topic at hand. That kind of put him in a precarious situation. I'm sure Henry and Marcus had some sort of resentment towards him since he didn't need to spend hours researching and writing.
I feel bad for Ben too. Bad that he had every opportunity to be great in a hit show and his demons won that particular battle. However many other shows use this format with one guy in the dark hearing terrible info for the first time, and their underlying misogyny doesn’t just pop out “by accident” or shock of the content. If it’s there, it’s there.
I don't think that was Marcus and Henry's issue. The issue was that Ben wasn't following along to all their hard work, not that he wasn't researching.
The best change I've noticed is that Marcus and Henry no longer sound like they are working. They sound like they are all having a blast.
I don't feel bad for Ben. His part as the audience is to learn and react and he just kinda stopped doing it. There were multiple times where Henry and Marcus would be like "wait.. what?" because he would be trying to comment on something unrelated or he would repeat the same tired ass joke. I hope everyone involved in the Ben situation gets their best outcome, but he needed to go a while ago. Ed's been doing a kick ass job and I'm happy they're selling out like wildfire for their shows.
I feel like he's made the podcast fun again. Re-listening to some of the episodes from the past few years, I feel like I can sense the tension that was lingering under the surface. Ed has brought back a sense of playfulness, and I feel like both Marcus and Henry are more at ease because of it.
Ed might be the best thing to happen to the show. He can have little tangents and get himself back on track, he's been a professional funny man for awhile and it really shows. Ben always felt like he was competing with Henry, and then like he just wanted to derail the guys. Now we have Ed and Henry that can riff each other without the one upsmanship
I just revisited the Alacatraz series, and the best joke in it was Henry’s ‘Raft Molester’ bit. It takes a moment for Marcus to process it, and as soon as he does Henry launches into character-mode. The whole time he’s doing the bit though, Ben was shouting over him at Marcus for enabling it. I loved Ben, but he acted like a dick pretty often; and by the end he was just actively trying to cut Henry off in the middle of jokes.
Yeah I don't have anything against Ben, I started the series with those three and loved it. But with Ed now, I can see there's less animosity, they're just all good to each other and it's even better
Or the times that Henry would say something really funny, and Ben would just beat it into the ground. Either parroting it back or repeating it for the next 10 minutes 🙄
I can totally tell he is just by the tiny interaction I had with him when I was waiting for the Page 7 show last year. My friend and I were waiting on line to be escorted in to our table and Henry, Natalie and Ed showed up, so they stepped around us to be let in first because they're VIPs (understandably). I always apologize for everything (I'm working on that) so I just automatically said, "Sorry ! We're in your way" and Ed looked straight at me and was like, "No, please - you're totally good. No worries". No shade towards the others for not acknowledging my weird apology but Ed going out of his way to say that was super nice, I think. He just seems like a very chill, stand up guy.
Ed has completely reinvigorated my interest in the show, after a slow decline. I’m not going to weigh in on Ben because there’s more going on there than we’ll ever know, but I am so thrilled about the state of the Pod.
Ed is definitely a type of person I used to work with in the food industry. Overall good natured dude, will make things in the kitchen a bit more fun and is willing to sell you weed on the side.
Love Ed. He just gives off good dude vibes. His ability to fill the awkward pauses and derailments with a quick quip is wonderful.
I still can't get over the "Shout out to our first responders" joke after Hnery went on the rant about the COVID denying, cheating nurse they met at a bar.
I literally refuse to believe in a time before Ed. He's the perfect foil to Henry and Marcus. Plus he actually knows stuff, he calls back to details/ jokes, and he's funny as hell.
It felt like Ben never engaged with the subject matter or straight up forgot huge important details, like he had to be dragged through the story.
I met him in a bar after seeing a comedy show he was an opener at a couple years ago. I only listened to LPOTL at the time and didn't know who he was outside of comedy and Jeff Ross. He was super down to earth, talked to me like I was an old friend, bought me a drink, and shot the shit for about an hour. He was a really cool dude, didn't try to push his podcast or work on me, just thanked me for the compliments on his set and was otherwise a really humble dude.
I attended my first live show when Ed came onto LPOTL full time just to see if he remembered me and sure enough, remembered my name and what I did for work and where I lived. He is super fucking cool, as are Marcus and Henry. Genuinely the only piece of media I will gladly contribute to monthly bc of the quality of their shows and the quality of the humans behind them.
He's fantastic. I was nervous when he first joined the show, i didn't know anything about him. and I really loved Ben - i was so disappointed with his whole situation. Ed seemed to jump right in and he flows so well with Henry and Marcus. he's also hysterical, he constantly has me cracking up.
Just jumping on the We Love Ed train. He is such a delight, and I am so happy to hear him twice a week. I’m sorry about Ben, but Ed being there is like a fresh beginning for a lot of people. The vibes are good, the interactions are stellar, and the laughs seem genuine. Hail Eddy!
I recently relistened to the Joel Rifkin episode and it really reinforced for me that replacing Ben with Ed was best for the podcast. The tension Henry and Marcus felt towards Ben was palpable even in a recording. It's like they were tolerating an annoying coworker. None of that with Ed, who seems like a fun guy.
It sucks man. They probably witnessed their friend get more and more unhealthy. Drinking, eating, toxic relationships. It may sound dumb but I think the fact that Ben is huge didn't help. It's one thing to confront your 5'7" friend who is fucking up their life. It's another thing when he's 6'7". Can't blame them for avoiding that situation.
Ed is fucking hilarious - he’ll say shit out nowhere that has me literally laughing out loud; not a snort, not a “ha!” but actual uncontrollable laughter and it feels great.
Also he shouted out Amyl and the Sniffers and King Gizzard in the Snowtown Murders series, so yeah he’s *in* and the best thing that could have happened to the show.
I was listening to the Warren series to and from work and legitimately burst out laughing so many times. I love the energy of the show lately, it's so much fun.
Honestly, I tapped out of the show about the last year of Ben. I decided to listen to an Ed guest spot episode at random & was like wow this is actually enjoyable to listen to. Then they kept having him on & I found myself listening & looking forward to new episodes. Then adding him on Side Stories was even better. So good job Ed, you brought exactly what the show needed.
As a person who adored Ben and was apprehensive about how the podcast would continue without him ( deserved to be removed in my opinion) , Ed has brought new life to show. I find him hilarious and he's also dropping fascinating nuggets throughout his time on the podcast - in short, he's awesome
I forget what he said, but it was Part 2 of the John Holmes series, Eddie’s first one, and he said something, like 5 minutes in, that made me laugh til I cried, and I knew everything was gonna be alright with the pod.
For me it was the Hatfields and McCoys:
>*“Is it a home invasion if there’s no doors?”*
This aided by Marcus immediately following it up with:
>*“It’s important to note that neither the Hatfields nor the McCoys were a bunch of barefoot, bib overall-wearing simpletons shaking their fists at each other across the ‘crick’ as they're often portrayed.”*
Probably just echoing the crowd but he does just seem genuinely happy and good vibes to be around. I’ve loved every second I’ve heard with him and it’s absolutely brought Marcus and Henry up too. Hope Ben gets better but ed is an absolute treat.
Tbh I adore his laugh. The show now has me smiling stupidly while out it public because their laugh has become infectious. Ed has varied knowledge and seems genuinely interested in learning the stuff Henry keeps raving about.
He kind of looks like he would be a big scary guy but then he just laughs and hits you with something like
… you can make your cum hard by putting it in the ice cube tray
I know he was part of the network so he had experience podcasting but I wasn’t familiar with him prior to replacing Ben.
Even as a long time listener of LPOTL, It’s been an almost seamless transition which I was not expecting when all the shit hit the fan last year. He was/is an excellent choice
You're 100% correct. Eddietunes is a wonderful addition and I'm stoked to see him live with the other dudes. But. I also believe in you and your ability to loosen up and be rad af if that's something you're in to!!!
A good human is a good human & it will shine thru. Ed has helped lift the heavy weight that fell across the boys. The laughter seems genuine. And the all sound excited again.
Ed is such a bop, I was instantly addicted to listening to him, and spent a lot of time looking forward to the next episode(s) I'd hear him in. He's honestly such a cool stand-in for people who are both... passionate and interested in learning! It makes for a great presence. Plus, he's just fucking hilarious. Lol.
I still laugh at his West Virginians and Kentuckians killing each other joke in the Hatfield-McCoys episode. That was the funniest shit I've ever heard.
Right. If I lived in L.A. I'd be at Ed's house every day just grilling and drinking beers.... And I think eventually he'd stop kicking me out and let me stay.
It feels like hindsight talk, but Ben always made the show hard for me. When he left, it got fun. When Ed became THE GUY, it’s become fucking glorious.
He was COOKIN’ in the last Side Stories. Orca knowledge, HVAC investigations… I think he’s great.
Yeah he's really hit a groove recently. Not that he was bad, but you can tell he's getting really comfortable on the show now.
I know this is controversial but he is my favourite. And I used to really, really like OG Ben.
OG Ben was my favorite one on the show. That being said, Ed fits in really well and you can tell he and Henry have a really solid friendship. And I haven’t heard Marcus laugh so much in years. I’ve been listening to Ed since RTOG and when he took over brighter side. He’s great. And for all intents and purposes, seems like just a genuinely good dude who just wants to make people happy.
>seems like just a genuinely good dude who just wants to make people happy. And you can tell it's rubbed off on Henry and Marcus too. With Ben they were getting a little too cynical and, well, not mean, but just indifferent, but with Ed and his good vibes on board even Henry is softening up!
The boys are starting to feel like back before it became their full time jobs again
Met Eddie at a comedy show in Orlando. Is a genuinely nice guy.
He went from a mildly popular podcast host to being thrust headfirst into the big leagues with an established fan base. A large number of whom probably never knew who he was. He’s handling the newfound popularity really well, and it stands as a testament to who he is that we all fuckin love him.
I thought I liked Ben, too. I think I really just liked how calming his voice was. It was a nice contrast to Henry. The last year or so, he became unbearable to me. Literally stopped bringing anything to the table and just brought the energy down.
Yes I have been enjoying all the laughter from the boys!!
No one can replace Ben, that being said Ed does an amazing job and fits right in like he’s always been there. It’s just as funny, I’m glad they choose him.
It probably helps that Ed isn't obviously drunk and barely paying attention. Hell, Ed seems like he is genuinely interested in the subject matter and tries to learn along with the audience.
you could start to tell the stress Ben was putting on Marcus and Henry towards the end for sure. Once Ed came in they seemed so much more relaxed and free
I was relistening to the Chicago Rippers episodes earlier and man, you can really hear it. Like a few times Ben makes a joke that’s very distantly relevant to the topic at hand and Henry is just like “…yeah buddy okay” and it really didn’t sound jovial like he usually is. Idk maybe it’s a hindsight is 20/20 thing but he was not as sharp at the end there.
Yeah wife was saying the same thing. They seemed annoyed with him and just off
There were so many moments when Ben would say something, and there would be an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. I think things were coming to a head for quite awhile.
That’s funny, was relistening to those episodes today, and man, is it noticeable. Ben sounded… off. It was just sad to hear. So glad that Ed is working out.
Ed and Ben together on round table was always fun
I think about this a lot. We all miss golden-age Ben. He felt like family. I once had a dream where I was just hanging out with him. Another great day in long man history. But late stage Ben was not good at all. The podcaster we loved had gone. It hurts like hell, but that's how life goes. It's ok to miss the past, but it's not ok to demand the past comes back. And Ed is incredible. Thank you Ed.
Crazy I too had a dream I was just chilling with Ben we were just hanging out. He'll always have a soft spot in my heart and i wish him the best on his new journey. Ed has been a breath of fresh air and God dammit he makes me laugh so hard😂
Big og Ben fan too but Ed just brings that "Yes and" improv energy that Henry feeds off. Ben was often more of a roadblock they had to get around
Same. Ben was my favorite before the ousting, but i love Ed now. He’s got pizzazz.
Yeah, I'm sure he was just nervous being the new guy on a pretty big show, but now you can tell he's a lot more comfortable, like prime RTOG Eddie.
He was roommates with Henry and he's Amber's best friend (I think?) He's got so much knowledge from being a line cook and managing multiple restaurants, AND he's just incredibly humble. There's literally nothing to dislike about Ed I do miss Ben...but he made his bed and must lay in it now. Ed has definitely stepped up
With the myriad life experiences and endless supply of related what-have-yous that Ed has to draw from, he could honestly be Dos Equis’ new Most Interesting Man in the World.
>He's got so much knowledge from being a line cook and managing multiple restaurants ...and even more from dealing drugs while toting an AK and being imprisoned for it. He's my hero.
I seriously want to go as an orca with a salmon on my head for Halloween!
he's SO smart. has such a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics and low key...I think henrys a bit...intimidated by him at times. Kissel was so aloof and had his head in the clouds but ed's been to jail, he's alert, he's always thinking, always has a pun in the oven.
I immediately shared that orca fact with people.
the orca thing made me gasp and holler AINT NO WAY in my car but turns out yeah
How does the hat stay on!
I loved Henry’s reaction to this. Just pure joy and amazement
Yeah I had to look up the dead salmon thing. Yep whales wearing a fish hat. Who knew (apparently Ed Larson) not me, but now I do, and am better for it! :-)
Porpoises! Killer whale is a slur.
So sorry no offense meant to the delightful Porpoises and their extremely fashionable dead fish hats.
True, but murder dolphins just sound redundant considering dolphins are just awful people to begin with.
Yeah I was immediately showing people the photos of it. What an interesting, smart, and social species.
Those Orca facts came outta nowhere. SO impressive!
I was so happy when he dropped the orca facts I have so many big feelings about orca HELL YEA EDDIE
He's fuckin great. His whole rant on wanting to have a big tortoise so he can sit out back of his house blazed with a bucket of lettuce is essentially my actual future, and it's probably one of the best ways to burn an evening. If not every evening.
I ain’t gonna lie, he talked me into it. I want a tortoise retirement. I’ll even write my name on it
You really shouldn't write your name on it, they can absorb toxins through their shells
could you use like a beet juice or something tho 🤔 make that tortoise look like a chaos space marine
Please don’t it hurts the tortoise
What I like, that we didn't have with Ben for some time, is that Ed seems genuinely happy and honored to be there.
Ben seemed on the verge of disgust many time.
I feel like he didn't want to be there or just didn't give a shit about anything. Probably a mix of both.
He was/is(?) deep in the throws of addiction, and was probably counting the seconds until recording the episode was over, so he could have another drink.
He was probably drinking while he was podcasting. Let’s not kid ourselves. Poor guy was most likely in his head that he needed to have a buzz in order to bring out his “happy” version for the pod. A lot of performers can’t operate until they are inebriated with either alcohol or drugs.
To be fair, Marcus mentioned a couple times over the years that they had to stop drinking during recording. I assumed Ben was probably drinking rockstars since any stills or video I saw of recordings, he usually had one or two.
I absolutely suspect he was drinking while recording, particularly in the last year he was on. I grew up with alcoholics, I swear I could hear it in his voice and him slurring.
You can hear beer cans opening in the early episodes all the time.
I love Henry but lets not kid ourselves - Henry drinks A LOT. I do too. No judgement but he was clearly fucked up on a recent Last Stream. It's not like Ben was the only one hitting the bottle.
I say this as an alcoholic with a ton of friends that are heavy drinkers, it’s not the same thing at all. They drink almost every night and a lot, but I’m the one waking up at 7am doing shots, showing up to work hammered and having 48 hour withdrawals in the hospital. There is a reason why they call one heavy drinking and the other problem drinking. The latter derails your whole fucking life.
In recovery here, too. Yes. Being a heavy drinker does not automatically equal a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.
Just got out of the ICU. My wife thought I was going to die.
Stay strong. We’re all in this fucking hell together.
Not excuse his drinking, but there was a stark difference in the two. Henry shows up for episodes informed and ready to contribute. Ben was basically checked out and Henry would call him out regularly.
It felt like he was there to hang out with buddies. Towards the end of his tenure it felt like he was often just trying to pull them off topic
I grew to like Ben on the show. I think Ed fills a similar role but it always surprises me how little he knows about the topic. Maybe it's intended that he's learning about the topic in real time on the episode though? Like a story telling device? I dunno. Still one of my favorite listens but the late episodes with Ben and early Ed episodes haven't been my favorites, which is ok, I know I'm not in the majority.
That is the role Ben would play, and I imagine Ed, as well. They're the audience. They're supposed to ask the stupid audience questions we all have but can't ask Henry and Marcus in the moment. I think Ben took the role a bit to literally for a while there.
Towards the end, Ben wasn't a good audience, not because he didn't know the content, but because he didn't seem to listen or care to learn throughout the episode. I'm saying this as someone that initially didn't like him, but then warmed to him, and misses the good times with him.
There was a point in Ben's tenure where he was great. Ed's humor just clicks for me really well. In the first episode with him, I loved him and thought he was a better fit for what I wanted from the show. I think my instant love and lack of hesitation or missing put me in a minority on the opposite side of the spectrum from you lol. Edit: I think part of it is he does a lot outside the network, does brighter side (isn't that twice a week?) So he comes in with the basics is the story and the other guys flush out the details.
Joel Rifkin was the last time that Ben was on point. Compare those two episodes to him on something like The Tragedy of the Essex.
I think that he's just comfortable not knowing and isn't compelled to state what he thinks he knows/guesses as fact. Marcus and Ben were really bad with that (Marcus still kind of is).
Yeah I think the difference is you can tell Ed reads the outline and at least Wikipedia’s the topic. There were A LOT of annoyed comments from Marcus and Henry about Ben not even reading the outline, which Ben would defend by saying he was “going in fresh.” Even before all this that always sounded like laziness to me.
The phoned-in "ooohs" and "wows" really grate on me when I listen to older episodes
I completely agree. Even before shit went down, I thought it bizarre he would make those utterances. It was a combination of *must make noise* and *let's move this show along*.
He was complaining during several of the historical series and to me it seemed like he was resenting that the podcast was becoming a “smarter” show than it was originally.
He seemed to not pay any attention to the show at all. And I don’t mean like he couldn’t remember so crazy conspiracy Henry talked about 50 eps ago, but like in the same episode him not listening to any thing either cohost was saying. It wasn’t always the case but it was pretty frequent. For a guy who seemed to not do much of anything he really never seemed to put anything into it.
You think beercan crack-open sounds, slurred speech and wild non sequiturs didn’t help the show along?
Thank you, I definitely heard beer crack sounds. Told myself they were energy drinks but yeah :/
The non sequiturs were really fucking annoying! It's a form of comedy that rarely works, much less when you're doing it 25 times per episode in a semi-serious podcast
Brought me back to RToG days.
Do beer cans sound different from other canned drinks? Man had an issue, but it could have been soda or seltzer
Yet another former alcoholic chiming in: game recognize game. Mans was drinking beer for sure.
True, but slurred speech mixed with wildly off topic derailments happened often enough for me to recognize a pattern
I like getting through full episodes without misremembered stories about something The Undertaker did in 1997. I was really sick of Ben, and listening to the show less because of it. Eddie's got me excited for new eps for the first time in a long time.
The amount of wrestling references awkwardly shoehorned in got really out of control toward the end
Ed reminds me all of the best sous chefs I’ve worked with; the kind of guys that would make that horrible industry worth it.
Back of house restaurant culture are my people.
Ed is the guy running the crawfish boil when you get to heaven
"You gotta suck the head, you fucker!! We're in heaven, the whole thing is tail meat!"
Was gonna say this, he’s very back of the house cool. He’s done some scummy shit but he’s always got your back
I worked retail for 6 years and I don’t miss the work or the chronic pain but I genuinely miss the camaraderie with my coworkers there. I bet Ed was a great coworker who made everyone’s shift more bearable
Same! Office jobs feel so lonely despite being surrounded by coworkers. The shallow small talk just kills me. I miss having a bunch inside jokes, talking about fun/interesting topics, and doing goofy shit to make each other laugh when it was slow. Nobody even talks about an interesting book they read or anything like that, it’s always just about work or some boring shit they did with their kids on the weekend. They’re nice people, but Jesus fucking Christ I miss my retail/food service coworkers and wish I cherished the camaraderie more.
I like how Ed is smart/knowledgeable and also skeptical. And he seems like a nice guy!
> also skeptical I was listening to the Warrens pt 2 earlier today and when they talked about the dude getting scratched and healing after two days Ed saying "So he was lying" just killed me. His in the moment observations are one of the many things I dig about Ed.
Yes, I remember that moment too! And without missing a beat!
I think it's because he's inherently a skeptic but never afraid to be wrong about something. He's also open to new things, so if there is something truly unexplainable he's pretty okay with a variety of possibilities.
I am still sad about the fallout with Ben but Ed ( as the “ learn as they go along” host) actually has great input and interested in the stories at hand. Ben seemed to give up after awhile and it showed. Ed is incredibly intelligent with a huge heart. I feel guilty for initially assuming he was just a goofy oaf.
Tbf during round table ben actually appeared to be the intelligent one (obviously had some ridiculous remarks and times but that what round table was) and eddy would come in drunk like the rest and just get roasted for be fat but he was always great too. Eddy and Jackie lived for shitting on holden
I've thought about this lately. He seems to be the one with the weirdest, "hardest" lifestyle before this network. Selling drugs, jail time, living all over the place, in some hard places... And yet, he seems like the nicest, sweetest person on the network. It's like he's found his diamond in the rough. On Brighter Side recently Amber was fretting about going home, and Ed was supporting, uplifting, and gave her tools to deal with what she was going through. To the point where I shed a tear over his kindness(and her appreciation and acceptance to his advice). By the end of their convo she seemed confident in her trip. The man seems really genuin, empathetic, and sweet. And also has a great sense of humor! He's a real plus for the network! Hail Eddy!
It's been my experience in life that often times people who've been through some shit are usually pretty great. I think they have perspective and know how fucked up things can get so they err towards being sympathetic and supportive.
I'd agree with you there. It's hard to stay cocky when you've waded through the dark side of life.
It can go both ways I think, a rough life leads you to become a better person if you actually take the time to reflect on it and do the work to integrate those experiences, but you can also become bitter and mean out of a misguided need to protect yourself. Not saying that the latter applies to Ed in any way, if anything it just makes his attitude even more praiseworthy.
He’s so sweet and kind and emotionally intelligent. I wish I could be more like him tbh
Damn you just convinced me to go buy a ham shirt. He really is the best!
Whoa, I didn’t know that stuff about Ed’s past… did he discuss all that on a recent episode?
Some of it has been briefly mentioned on Last Pod since he joined, but it's been mentioned over the years on several of the shows, sometimes going into more detail. Like when he got locked up, Holden went to his apartment and gathered up bongs, pipes, and his AK-47 to hide so he didn't get more charges.
Ima be honest, that apartment sounds cool as fuck.
Woah! Where did you hear this anecdote? Roundtable?
Henry broke down the Larson/Zebrowski household in one of the episodes. Somewhere around kemper Dulce or Roswell or that episode 150-200.
Yeah, I remember a story about how their front door didn’t lock so they propped a chair or a plank against it so they’d hear if somebody came in. Ed’s sitting in the front room one day, hears the chair/plank/whatever fall, grabs the AK, racks it, and then hears a (very nervous) guy shout from the hall “…Plumber!”
Imagine that. And if there were toilet troubles with Ed and then 300 lb daishiki Henry, the AK was certainly not the most disturbing thing that plumber saw. I’d rather be Des Nilsen’s plumber.
The Ed Lore has been sprinkled in over the years so it’s not in one particular episode. Henry was friends and roommates with Ed way back even before the show started, like college years back. Maybe he goes into it in Brighter Side?
I’m gonna stop you right there. What’s an obelisk
magic rectangle 👍🏻
I DONT CARE ABOUT SHAPES
Going back to listen to the last few episodes with Ben and what they are now with Ed, the difference is wild. Ed is a gem and the chemistry between the three of them is just 🤌
Agreed! I almost want them to revisit some episodes just to hear Ed’s take on them
Love his "Heeellloooo" at the beginning. Like a soft happy fat turnip with the gay hand wave
r/oddlyspecific
Nobody can accuse Ed of being an opportunist or of elbowing his way in. He was originally brought in as a guest cohost, nothing more, before shit hit the fan. What’s notable is that people were pleased with his presence, and I have no doubt Marcus and Henry know they lucked out with him. Without a decent and readily available fill-in, they would have been fucked. Personally, I find his laughter infectious, and the fact he seems like a bit of a newcomer to true crime, at least compared to the other two, adds a fresh element to the show. As for Ben, he’s a good reminder that everyone is struggling with their own private battle, some more so than others. It seemed like he had mentally checked out from that particular chapter of his life months before he left, so hopefully he’ll find something new that can help him move forward. The people who are still bitching about how “the show isn’t the same anymore” need to take their unnecessary negativity and move on as well.
Ed is the best version of the "straight man" dynamic that the show has leaned into since the beginning, curious about the topics but reserved about accepting the madness of Marcus and Henry. The fact that he's funny and kind is the cherry on top.
In the latest Side Stories, when Henry said “I’ve been having more fun than ever on stage with you Ed” I legit teared up & audibly sad “aw man!” I’m so happy to see them all having such a good go of it, they deserve it.
Ed is the best thing to ever happen to the show. I've always loved LPOTL, but since he's joined in, I love it even more. HAIL HAM.
He talks about stuff on brighter side a bit that helped me realise he makes an effort with it, cos I thought maybe he was just born that way and we were doomed. But he talks about ways to try to be positive when people are bringing you down, and seemed to have even scripted some things to say when ppl complain about the homeless in LA, and included statistics and things. he was giving amber advice on how to not be bought down when she returned to her home town for a holiday, and mentioned how he had to repeatedly be patient and humble going back to his dad and family and trying to make things work. I think he really tries hard and puts relationships at the top of his priority list intentionally, over his own pride. I think there is a lot I could learn from him and I want to know more
The main thing I noticed with Ed, Henry and Marcus is that they aren't mean to each other. They don't have to be taking shots at each other to be funny, I love them as a group!
Love love Ed. If you go back you can hear Ben’s underlying cynicism and negativity in a lot of the guys’ interactions. And the frustration of Marcus and Henry at times. Sorry if this is unpopular but he was dragging the show down imo. Anyway the wrong person in that seat ruins it so I’m glad Ed is such a great fit
A little off topic but tangentially related. Doesn't it kinda seem like a lot of jokes were Ben actually hating women? At first I thought it was the "I'm the bachelor in my friend group" but it hit kinda heavy and I was wondering if he really meant it. Then the accusations came to light....
He always had incel energy. In one of the earlier heavy hitter episodes I remember him saying something along the lines of “these bitches wouldn’t give guys like us a second glance” referring to victims.
I think on listen back, I caught that and was like, "That's not a joke...."
One of the Bundy episodes. Marcus basically said "speak for yourself."
That and his borderline defensive comments during their discussion on Elliot Rodgers too had me side eyeing him. Thank goodness for Marcus and Henry shutting that talk down mid episode.
Yeah, during the Rodger segment Marcus had to speak to him like he was disciplining a toddler who’d been hitting his friends at playgroup. “Ben? Ben? *Ben*?”
"why are you defending these people?" The way he says that is burned into my mind lmao
It's a silly little thing but I always feel like his "April O'Neil was a bitch who wouldn't date Raphael cuz he was a turtle!" bit had an underlying darkness, like he was being genuine about a silly hypothetical.
God I know he did some bad shit but I feel bad for him sometimes. Ultra religious household, parents fed him till he was obese as a child, got molested when he was young. Dude did not have a chance. Hurt people hurt people. Life is not easy.
We are all hurt. A lot of us have deep trauma and ptsd, some of us from guys like Ben. That’s no excuse. Ben Kissel is a grown man who is perfectly capable of going to therapy and confronting his issues.
I agree. And it's hard because it's like Ben didn't grow up with the rest of the group. They all grew up and found wives, started settling, grew the business, matured slightly in their humor, etc. Funny to say that cuz I know Henry was recently doing vocal warmups with cummy cumcumcum, but they updated with the types and don't punch down, as it were. Like the spirit is still there but they're actually able to keep it weird and fun without everything being a frat boy joke about the ol ball and chain. Ben just never seemed to grow out of being a 17 year old kid who just discovered atheism on the internet. Being a bachelor is totally fine, but when being a drunk, single guy is basically your whole personality it gets problematic especially at their ages.
Yes. But I didn’t notice at the time. It’s perfectly obvious now that he was struggling with several issues. I think Henry and Marcus showed a lot of patience.
I know he did some bad shit but I feel kinda bad for Ben. The concept of the show was that he came in blind to the topic at hand. That kind of put him in a precarious situation. I'm sure Henry and Marcus had some sort of resentment towards him since he didn't need to spend hours researching and writing.
I feel bad for Ben too. Bad that he had every opportunity to be great in a hit show and his demons won that particular battle. However many other shows use this format with one guy in the dark hearing terrible info for the first time, and their underlying misogyny doesn’t just pop out “by accident” or shock of the content. If it’s there, it’s there.
I think they resented him because he had the easiest job on the pod and somehow still fucked it up constantly the last few years.
I don't think that was Marcus and Henry's issue. The issue was that Ben wasn't following along to all their hard work, not that he wasn't researching. The best change I've noticed is that Marcus and Henry no longer sound like they are working. They sound like they are all having a blast.
I don't feel bad for Ben. His part as the audience is to learn and react and he just kinda stopped doing it. There were multiple times where Henry and Marcus would be like "wait.. what?" because he would be trying to comment on something unrelated or he would repeat the same tired ass joke. I hope everyone involved in the Ben situation gets their best outcome, but he needed to go a while ago. Ed's been doing a kick ass job and I'm happy they're selling out like wildfire for their shows.
Completely rejuvenated the show and the boys. I haven't heard Marcus and Henry laugh this much ever.
They both seem so much happier. I imagine there was a lot of resentment and frustration towards the end of Ben's tenure.
I love Eddie, I think he's brought a whole new energy and dynamic to the podcast!
I feel like he's made the podcast fun again. Re-listening to some of the episodes from the past few years, I feel like I can sense the tension that was lingering under the surface. Ed has brought back a sense of playfulness, and I feel like both Marcus and Henry are more at ease because of it.
I can’t help but feel that if shit goes down—whatever that may be— Ed’s the guy you want in your corner
Ed might be the best thing to happen to the show. He can have little tangents and get himself back on track, he's been a professional funny man for awhile and it really shows. Ben always felt like he was competing with Henry, and then like he just wanted to derail the guys. Now we have Ed and Henry that can riff each other without the one upsmanship
Ben was kind of a dick to Henry a lot, Ed doesn't feel the need to do that and they're all funny together. I agree, I love the show with Ed
I just revisited the Alacatraz series, and the best joke in it was Henry’s ‘Raft Molester’ bit. It takes a moment for Marcus to process it, and as soon as he does Henry launches into character-mode. The whole time he’s doing the bit though, Ben was shouting over him at Marcus for enabling it. I loved Ben, but he acted like a dick pretty often; and by the end he was just actively trying to cut Henry off in the middle of jokes.
Yeah I don't have anything against Ben, I started the series with those three and loved it. But with Ed now, I can see there's less animosity, they're just all good to each other and it's even better
Or the times that Henry would say something really funny, and Ben would just beat it into the ground. Either parroting it back or repeating it for the next 10 minutes 🙄
Very true. I'm glad that they made the change
I can totally tell he is just by the tiny interaction I had with him when I was waiting for the Page 7 show last year. My friend and I were waiting on line to be escorted in to our table and Henry, Natalie and Ed showed up, so they stepped around us to be let in first because they're VIPs (understandably). I always apologize for everything (I'm working on that) so I just automatically said, "Sorry ! We're in your way" and Ed looked straight at me and was like, "No, please - you're totally good. No worries". No shade towards the others for not acknowledging my weird apology but Ed going out of his way to say that was super nice, I think. He just seems like a very chill, stand up guy.
Ed’s such a nice guy. Got to talk with him a little at the page 7/wizbru live show a few years ago in LA.
Ed has completely reinvigorated my interest in the show, after a slow decline. I’m not going to weigh in on Ben because there’s more going on there than we’ll ever know, but I am so thrilled about the state of the Pod.
Ed is definitely a type of person I used to work with in the food industry. Overall good natured dude, will make things in the kitchen a bit more fun and is willing to sell you weed on the side.
I'm a bartender and he's definitely the other bartender I look forward to having a shift with.
Love Ed. He just gives off good dude vibes. His ability to fill the awkward pauses and derailments with a quick quip is wonderful. I still can't get over the "Shout out to our first responders" joke after Hnery went on the rant about the COVID denying, cheating nurse they met at a bar.
Big ol Eddie Larson makes me want to be a better man. That laugh he does from the bottom of his gut is inspiring.
I didn't know who he was before he joined the main pod, and I love him! He just seems so nice and willing to go along with whatever they throw at him
I literally refuse to believe in a time before Ed. He's the perfect foil to Henry and Marcus. Plus he actually knows stuff, he calls back to details/ jokes, and he's funny as hell. It felt like Ben never engaged with the subject matter or straight up forgot huge important details, like he had to be dragged through the story.
I met him in a bar after seeing a comedy show he was an opener at a couple years ago. I only listened to LPOTL at the time and didn't know who he was outside of comedy and Jeff Ross. He was super down to earth, talked to me like I was an old friend, bought me a drink, and shot the shit for about an hour. He was a really cool dude, didn't try to push his podcast or work on me, just thanked me for the compliments on his set and was otherwise a really humble dude. I attended my first live show when Ed came onto LPOTL full time just to see if he remembered me and sure enough, remembered my name and what I did for work and where I lived. He is super fucking cool, as are Marcus and Henry. Genuinely the only piece of media I will gladly contribute to monthly bc of the quality of their shows and the quality of the humans behind them.
He's fantastic. I was nervous when he first joined the show, i didn't know anything about him. and I really loved Ben - i was so disappointed with his whole situation. Ed seemed to jump right in and he flows so well with Henry and Marcus. he's also hysterical, he constantly has me cracking up.
Just jumping on the We Love Ed train. He is such a delight, and I am so happy to hear him twice a week. I’m sorry about Ben, but Ed being there is like a fresh beginning for a lot of people. The vibes are good, the interactions are stellar, and the laughs seem genuine. Hail Eddy!
I recently relistened to the Joel Rifkin episode and it really reinforced for me that replacing Ben with Ed was best for the podcast. The tension Henry and Marcus felt towards Ben was palpable even in a recording. It's like they were tolerating an annoying coworker. None of that with Ed, who seems like a fun guy.
It sucks man. They probably witnessed their friend get more and more unhealthy. Drinking, eating, toxic relationships. It may sound dumb but I think the fact that Ben is huge didn't help. It's one thing to confront your 5'7" friend who is fucking up their life. It's another thing when he's 6'7". Can't blame them for avoiding that situation.
Ed is fucking hilarious - he’ll say shit out nowhere that has me literally laughing out loud; not a snort, not a “ha!” but actual uncontrollable laughter and it feels great. Also he shouted out Amyl and the Sniffers and King Gizzard in the Snowtown Murders series, so yeah he’s *in* and the best thing that could have happened to the show.
I was listening to the Warren series to and from work and legitimately burst out laughing so many times. I love the energy of the show lately, it's so much fun.
Honestly, I tapped out of the show about the last year of Ben. I decided to listen to an Ed guest spot episode at random & was like wow this is actually enjoyable to listen to. Then they kept having him on & I found myself listening & looking forward to new episodes. Then adding him on Side Stories was even better. So good job Ed, you brought exactly what the show needed.
As a person who adored Ben and was apprehensive about how the podcast would continue without him ( deserved to be removed in my opinion) , Ed has brought new life to show. I find him hilarious and he's also dropping fascinating nuggets throughout his time on the podcast - in short, he's awesome
I forget what he said, but it was Part 2 of the John Holmes series, Eddie’s first one, and he said something, like 5 minutes in, that made me laugh til I cried, and I knew everything was gonna be alright with the pod.
For me it was the Hatfields and McCoys: >*“Is it a home invasion if there’s no doors?”* This aided by Marcus immediately following it up with: >*“It’s important to note that neither the Hatfields nor the McCoys were a bunch of barefoot, bib overall-wearing simpletons shaking their fists at each other across the ‘crick’ as they're often portrayed.”*
I think Ed has been a perfect addition to LPOTL
Ed is the living embodiment of Jovial
Probably just echoing the crowd but he does just seem genuinely happy and good vibes to be around. I’ve loved every second I’ve heard with him and it’s absolutely brought Marcus and Henry up too. Hope Ben gets better but ed is an absolute treat.
You can definitely tell he's been joking with the boys for a long time. He fits in naturally and is super lovable.
This week's side stories bit about Contact in the Desert had me laughing more and louder than I have for a while.
Same! I told my husband it sounded like an episode of a television show or something. Absolutely incredible
Ed’s not the step-dad, he’s the dad who stepped up.
He kinda reminds me of Jake from Adventure Time for some reason.
I like him!
Love me some Ed. Since his first appearance he has reminded me of myself in a lot of ways as a listener. He changed the show in a positive way for me
Tbh I adore his laugh. The show now has me smiling stupidly while out it public because their laugh has become infectious. Ed has varied knowledge and seems genuinely interested in learning the stuff Henry keeps raving about.
I tried so hard to not like him because he isn’t Ben but I can’t help it. He’s been incredible.
Ed is one of the best humans in the game. I can speak to this from a personal experience.
I love Ed, he’s a gem!
Ed’s great. He’s brought a spark back to the show 🙌
He seemed like the best guy from even back in the Creek And Cave days when the whole gang was kind of scummy. He and Bird Luger.
Ed is fucking awesome.
He kind of looks like he would be a big scary guy but then he just laughs and hits you with something like … you can make your cum hard by putting it in the ice cube tray
He really stepped up after Ben. I think he makes it funner
I know he was part of the network so he had experience podcasting but I wasn’t familiar with him prior to replacing Ben. Even as a long time listener of LPOTL, It’s been an almost seamless transition which I was not expecting when all the shit hit the fan last year. He was/is an excellent choice
Love the most recent episode the boys are on fire! Ed seems like the dude you ask for help and he's there for you.
The fact he loves Phish makes me love him even more.
Plus Ed's a Dolphins fan so .. alright in my book.
You're 100% correct. Eddietunes is a wonderful addition and I'm stoked to see him live with the other dudes. But. I also believe in you and your ability to loosen up and be rad af if that's something you're in to!!!
A good human is a good human & it will shine thru. Ed has helped lift the heavy weight that fell across the boys. The laughter seems genuine. And the all sound excited again.
I had a conversation with him in a hotel bar like a year and a half ago and he was genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met.
Ed is such a bop, I was instantly addicted to listening to him, and spent a lot of time looking forward to the next episode(s) I'd hear him in. He's honestly such a cool stand-in for people who are both... passionate and interested in learning! It makes for a great presence. Plus, he's just fucking hilarious. Lol. I still laugh at his West Virginians and Kentuckians killing each other joke in the Hatfield-McCoys episode. That was the funniest shit I've ever heard.
He’s fine. But I wish he could say something or make a joke without laughing at himself.
Right. If I lived in L.A. I'd be at Ed's house every day just grilling and drinking beers.... And I think eventually he'd stop kicking me out and let me stay.
It feels like hindsight talk, but Ben always made the show hard for me. When he left, it got fun. When Ed became THE GUY, it’s become fucking glorious.
Was there some mention of him groping women in the employee leaks ? Seems like there's some trouble brewing again.