THE BEST SHOW ON WFMU WORLD DOMINATION SCHEME, PHASE ONE. YOUR IDEAS HERE!

[ericluxury]

Baby Steps podcast is a fantastic idea. I downloaded a podcast of the Best Show about a year before I got into the show and I didn't get it at all. My first thought was why is there two theme songs in a row. And I felt like the show had to justify being so long (I didn't think about it as a radio show so much as a podcast).

[Martin]

I am not yet sure how this will be configured, but I am starting to warm up to the notion of a shorter non-weekly podcast that would be for beginners. Someone called it 'Baby Steps', and that is pretty good.

Coincidentally, I was going to update the Vault today with some new clips, but it turns out that the Vault's visitors have exceeded the allowed bandwidth for the upload service I use, DivShare, so they shut down the account. So as of now the Vault is on ice, and I would be happy to permanently discontinue it at the drop of a (hard) hat should this idea move forward. I can sure help out. "Best Show Baby Steps" is a great name.

Maybe it's an omen.

[Jennifer]

I'm a really new listener (about two months in) and loved it from the start, but it did take some time to go through the archives and read the recaps in order to have enough history to really appreciate what's going on. For someone who is interested but bewildered, a Baby Steps podcast might be a good way to ease into it. Maybe it could be the best of both worlds--some people will be happy with a highlights podcast and others will move on to the full show.

I found Best Show through the Sound of Young America and AST podcasts. The interview with Matt and Jouster on AST was what helped me over the edge--for some reason, hearing Tom and Jon talk about the behind the scenes stuff made it all come together.

[Sarah]

I hate the idea of spoon-feeding the show to people.  I think everyone should have to go through the early period of confusion that gradually blossoms into understanding and appreciation, followed by compulsive immersion in the archives.

[Denim Gremlin]

the internet is great but i feel we should not stop there.

we have concentrations of FOT in every major city in the country.

we need to organize some kind of massive grassroots campaign or something. try to work the best show into everything we do in our lives. get large groups of FOT out to major events clad in S&W shirts. use whatever connections we have to get the word out to large groups of people.

also i think local FOTs need to work together to figure out what they can do in their local areas to get the words out.

tell everyone you meet about the show!

[Jennifer]

I hate the idea of spoon-feeding the show to people.  I think everyone should have to go through the early period of confusion that gradually blossoms into understanding and appreciation, followed by compulsive immersion in the archives.

Having invested many hours learning about the show, I can also see this side of it, because I enjoyed tracking things down and making the connections. It kind of feels like being in a secret awesome club. But I guess "secret awesome club" doesn't really lend itself to "world domination."

[Sarah]

Maybe we can all wear a uniform, or at least some kind of insignia.  And perhaps it's not too early to start designing special camps where we'll be able to sequester nonbelievers.

[yesno]

compulsive immersion in the archives.

Would be helped if you didn't need to go through contortions to get TBSOWFMU archives into a Zune-friendly format.  bookem dann-o already has the archives with the music removed, I hear.  If some of those were readily available it would save a lot of redundant threads on the boards-- but that would only be interesting to the already-converted.

I of course think spoon-feeding people the show is a great idea.  There's a lot of really great stuff that I only got into after people crammed it down my throat, or bands I only got into after listening to a "greatest hits." A successful world domination project would result in lots of casual fans who don't really get the show or care to, but a small percentage of those people would become diehard fans who listen to the complete archives.  And maybe some of those would actually start ponying up to WFMU, or would have connections with those 33 1/3 goons.

The S&W CDs are what really got me interested in the show, but it's Tom rants and stories and interactions with regular callers that really got me hooked.  Even just a "Best of Tom Scharpling" album might be a good start.

Also, a Best Show FAQ that isn't full of jokes might be helpful.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

tell everyone you meet about the show!

this always turns out badly for me.  

i completely agree with you, Colin.  i'm going to the radiohead show in SB next thursday, then i'll be in LA until monday (during f yeah fest dates).  maybe that would be an opportunity for some name-dropping ("i know Jason Grote", "listen to the Best Show"), and if i can get some amateur flyers together i will.

i could place current BS info on there for now: BS archives, FOT website, scharpling myspace, BS facebook?




i'm probably getting ahead of myself.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I love the idea of an archive podcast, or a Best Show Vault podcast.  Generally I try to talk up the show wherever I can, but it is an acquired taste, which (cf. Sarah) is part of what makes it so awesome.

Alternately, maybe we could do an "Ultimate Best Show," where we trash the last decade's worth of continuity and start at zero - Ultimate Tom, Ultimate Clontle, Ultimate Philly Boy Roy.  Where's Wes?

[erechoveraker]

Alternately, maybe we could do an "Ultimate Best Show," where we trash the last decade's worth of continuity and start at zero - Ultimate Tom, Ultimate Clontle, Ultimate Philly Boy Roy.  Where's Wes?

"Uh, yeah... uh, y'know get off like my blue tooth!"

(horrible Bendis impersonation)

[Alvaro from GM]

I love the idea of an archive podcast, or a Best Show Vault podcast.  Generally I try to talk up the show wherever I can, but it is an acquired taste, which (cf. Sarah) is part of what makes it so awesome.

Alternately, maybe we could do an "Ultimate Best Show," where we trash the last decade's worth of continuity and start at zero - Ultimate Tom, Ultimate Clontle, Ultimate Philly Boy Roy.  Where's Wes?

In the Ultimate World Hot Rocking Ronnie was Tom's Call Screener.

[masterofsparks]

How about a battle royale between all call screeners/associate producers in the show's history?





(For the record, I think Associate Producer/Hall of Famer/Future Newbridge Mayor Mike is the best).

[kray]

mike and mike, imus, howard stern. what have these monoliths of radio in common? video. video i say.

take a gander at the other top itunes comedy programs. video again.

costs are always an issue, but you have to make a sacrifice to get to the top.

[Emily]

There are videos of Tom...

[youtube]vhy4yZ_k3yk[/youtube]