The JV Club with Janet Varney

It’s the delightful Shulie Cowen (Spontaneanation), bringing tales of choir, half-perms, and adorable lazy eyes. Yes, adorable! And one more piece of advice coming all the way from 1957 - “Think Pink!”

Pack up your records and head to the local radio station to commemorate the super cool teenage DJ this week’s guest Lisa Loeb was at 15! Just don’t expect JV of Lisa to be able to help you too much when it comes to American geography… although a recent wall map may change all that in Lisa’s household. Plus! Skater hair! Ankle boots! Not-quite-lime-green baggy pants!

This is one of The JV Club’s most coincidence-or-is-it, two-total-strangers-instantly-bonding-on-a-kind-of-ridiculously-deep-level episodes to date, thanks to Jenny Jaffe (Big Hero 6, Project UROK)! Abiding Hugh Laurie crushes! “Someone finally understands me” rushes! Love of British Comedy gushes! Nothing rhymes with depersonalization displacement - ushes!

The warm, articulate, beautiful, self-proclaimed Type A Kelsey Scott (Fear the Walking Dead: Passage) comes by for a look back at her teen years in Atlanta along with discussions about chivalry, feminism, conflict resolution, and the languages of love. Plus: bread pudding!

This week, a guest whose teenage years are VERY fresh in her mind… because she’s 17! Author and comedian Ruby Karp (Earth Hates Me) talks air conditioning, profiling lizards, perils of social media and lots more in this yes, very special episode of the podcast!

What a delight! And a joy! Nicole Parker ( Mad TV ) shares the couch with ole “sore neck” JV and enchants her with tales of senior perms- senior CITIZEN, that is, enormous glasses, and a very robust appreciation of the soundtrack from Scent of a Woman. HOO-AH!

The Double Clicks’ Laser Malena-Webber (who at the time of this interview went by a different name) comes over for a chat about stuff like church (bell choirs, anyone?), D & D, endless (but with an ending) adolescent love, and more… including some pretty amazing RPGs invented for M.A.S.H., thanks to Angela’s rad brain!

Episode 256 brings us author, documentarian and screenwriter (and a bunch of other great stuff) Anna Fields, whose encyclopedic knowledge of the history of women in comedy causes JV to ask her to create an online class… but for now you can settle for her wonderful book and upcoming documentary film, “The Girl in the Show.” Plus: Neuroscience! Constitutional Law! Mac and Cheese!

This week’s Boy of Summer is the esteemed non-doctor, Jonathan Katz (Dr. Katz), whose new Audible show promises to be as sublime as his much-beloved cartoon series! Hear about 4-track original teenage sad songs by a small and shy young man raised in The Big Apple in this special episode marking the end of Boys of Summer. 

This episode with Boy of Summer Andy Richter has every necessary ingredient to make you wish you got to work with him every day, or at least take him to a Dodgers game once in awhile! Includes an epilogue in which JV unabashedly implies that he and Conan are maybe responsible for her career…?

This week’s Boy of Summer interview with Jesse Thorn (Maximum Fun)? Oh, it’s just two former San Franciscans jawin’ ‘bout high school drama pragmatism and underwater science is all. And sure, there’s probably some pretty groovy info about how important it is to collaborate with the right folks to make your work happen. Oh, and modern medicine. Plus interviewing interviewers and something we’ll cal...

Unofficial high school drama teacher Travis McElroy (My Brother, My Brother and Me) educates JV on summer porch tea and cookies, the signs of narcissism, and the particular joy of boxed chocolates in this long-distance episode of the podcast that includes a rousing vocal remix of “Boys of Summer!”

Get out your spray paint can and mentally tag to your heart’s content but for heaven’s sake DON’T ACTUALLY GO OUT AND GRAFFITI (is that a verb?) unless your heart tells you that you must. Just like some people’s hearts tell them to be actors or priests. And some priests tell people to be actors. This will all make more sense after you enjoy the charming and hilarious Eugene Cordero (Kong: Skull Is...

The utterly marvelous Eban Schletter (Spontaneanation) sits down for a chat with JV about the wonders of Ennio Morricone, high school societal bummers of Piedmont, CA, and the gods’ gift to ice cream known as Fenton’s. Plus torn t-shirts, movie soundtracks o’plenty, and the snowy arctic climes of THE THING!!

It's a JV Club re-release with Keegan-Michael Key ( Key and Peele )! Dog talk and tapeworm talk eventually give way to exploring identity as it relates to being adopted, how to get along with (almost) everybody, and the appeal of a really great plate of chili cheese fries.

Wocka wocka wocka! JV heads over to Casa Phirman to hang out with the delightful Mike (Hard ’n Phirm) and his pun-tacular brain. Sample boards, sushi chefs, single skis and more! This episode also contains one of the most complete yet least articulated versions of "Boys of Summer" yet!

True Crime podcast fans (“Serial” lovers, I’m looking at you in particular) alert! Boy of Summer Bob Ruff is not only smart as hell, charming, and determined to change our criminal justice system for the better, he also had a hand in post-Serial developments for Adnan Syed. This is big stuff, people! Join JV and Truth and the Justice podcast creator and host for a look back at how Bob arrived at t...

Guess what? Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder, West Wing Weekly) is more wonderful than you already thought he was! Join Hrishi and Janet as they explore — or should we say “explode?” — his formative years at a co-ed boarding school, his love of a good film auteur or two, and the unending delight at finding true love.

Polish your volleyball (and then realize you didn’t need to polish a volleyball) while you enjoy this Alberta-scented memory-ramble with the extremely cool Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead and every other cool show on tv right now) as his attention is repeatedly diverted by a heavy rainstorm. Boys of Summer continues!

Atten-HUT! Charming Boy of Summer and "Orphan Black" co-star Kristian Bruun has some amazing stories to tell about his high school years at Valley Forge Academy, where he triumphed on the trumpet, squared off all his corners, and most decidedly did NOT get to ride the military motorcycles. All this and more as Boys of Summer continues!

It’s the fabulous Zeke Nicholson (Comedy Bang Bang, Take My Wife) and his musings on the not-so-grueling responsibilities of being track captain, a rich appreciation for the town of Smallville, and the estimable value of a good late night run to McDonald’s.

It’s delight and joy personified with Boy of Summer Jon Heder, whose dedication and generosity as an Eagle Scout extended all the way to trying to fix Janet’s broken computer a few weeks ago. Find out how he and his twin brother Dan spent their teen years in Oregon, Jon’s mission in Japan, and then find out which imaginary creature his M.A.S.H. future holds!

Janet shares her live panel from the University of Chicago’s Sex Week.

Fresh from her debut as Mark’s guest co-host on Pistol Shrimps radio, it’s the divine Kristina Rodgers, who drops by to bond with JV over Siouxsie Sioux, the Electrical Light Parade, Pottery Barn and oh-so much more in episode 241 of the JV Club!

For friends and fans of Spontaneanation, you may know her as one of its frequent guests and brilliant improvisers! Others may know her best as Flo, easily the coolest and most watchable commercial personality thanks to good old Progressive. Here on the podcast you will come to know her as a lover of truffle butter, a “Shirley Temple,” and a onetime France resident who bought jeans by the pound.