WTF with Marc Maron – Episode 1677: Tom Scharpling

Date: September 11, 2025
Guest: Tom Scharpling
Host: Marc Maron

Episode Overview

In this rich, reflective episode, Marc Maron welcomes back Tom Scharpling, host of The Best Show, in celebration of its 25th anniversary. The program is a deep dive into the changing landscapes of podcasting, comedy, and culture. Both men reflect on the evolution of their careers, their personal insecurities, philosophies on creative work, the state of comedy and media, and the endurance and meaning of friendship over time.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Enduring Search for the Self

• Marc opens with candid reflections on mortality, insecurity, and the lasting impact of youthful self-perception.
• He discusses how his sense of self was challenged during a recent lunch with a college friend:

  "I had a couple of realizations, mostly that, you know, how in my own fucking head am I at all times?...He tells me that his sense of me was something completely different than what I thought." (11:00)

• Marc meditates on how close relationships create a mirror, yet the picture is always distorted by internal narratives.

2. Podcasting, Purity, and the Shift to Monetization

• Tom recounts the early days of The Best Show, broadcasting for free and just for the love of it:

  "I would think of, like, three people doing the show. If I can make these three friends of mine laugh, I just have to assume the rest of it's gonna take care of itself." (25:16)

• Both discuss initial resistance to advertising and the changing meaning of authenticity and “selling out” in the digital age.
• The concept of "content" vs. art/comedy is debated, with a lament for a time when creation wasn’t driven by building a brand:

  "When people started saying things like, well, that's on brand. I'm like, what are you fucking talking about? I wish I knew my brand." (19:46)

3. Evolution of Guest Types and the Fluidity of the Format

• Marc and Tom recall the expansion of WTF guest types from comedians to musicians and actors, and how that shift both excited and unnerved them.
• Tom credits Marc’s format for its conversational, not interview-driven, style:

  "Because it's not an interview, it's a conversation. The most basic delineation is that you do conversations here." (30:20)

4. The Comedy “Civil Wars” and Who Gets to Define It

• Conversation turns to gatekeeping in comedy, especially the influence of podcasts like Rogan, and how anti-wokeness and tribalism have politicized what was once a pure art form.

  "With this hijacking of pop culture...they and Rogan did this years ago...he put himself in the place to sort of be the guy who judges what is good comedy and what isn't." (39:00)

• Both push back on the notion that only a certain type of comedian deserves the spotlight, emphasizing that diversity and weirdness have always been central to the art.

5. Podcasting Fatigue, Authenticity, and the Value of Silence

• The long grind is explored: podcasters have gone from mysterious media presences to hyper-accessible, sometimes to their own detriment.

  "The idea used to be every two years, here's one hour of me talking every two years. And suddenly now it's like in one week, here's 10 hours of me talking and you're just like, well, the value of talking for that person is just plummeted." (98:14)

• Marc and Tom discuss how holding silence in conversation is a learned but powerful skill, differentiating authentic discourse from nervous rambling.

  "Just slow down. Rather than go, uh, yeah. Just be quiet for a second...it sounds a lot better." (93:44)

6. Transitions and the Challenge of Letting Go

• As both face professional and personal transitions—Marc winding down the podcast, Tom adapting to new life outside Jersey—the theme of finding purpose amidst change is persistent.
• Tom reflects on his cross-country trip, the changing American landscape, and the anxiety of losing home’s old comforts.
• Both men discuss the challenge and opportunity of moving beyond what’s familiar, with Marc pondering life post-WTF:

  "I don't really know. I mean, what I'll miss is that excitement and dread and anxiety of meeting new people, coming over and locking into this, because it does get me out of myself and it does, you know, kind of provide me a social life, you know." (96:21)

7. Legacy, Influence, and Friendship

• The episode closes with heartfelt gratitude each has for the other, acknowledging their roles in each other’s professional journeys.

  "Everything I've ever asked for is to get to be, like, when you look at the timeline of all of it, I'm like, a dot on the timeline." (91:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Podcasting’s Early Days:
  Tom Scharpling (28:11): "I was doing that. There was. The show grew, like, the first two years. Nobody cared. Everybody, the listeners play records, stop talking. But then it just found its audience, and it popped once podcasting in 2005...it just exponentially found people."

• On Comedy Gatekeepers:
  Marc Maron (39:44): "Well, now [Rogan]'s a gatekeeper. But he wasn't then—he was like a comedy cop. He was like Serpico...But once, you know, because of the army that he established...they do not deserve the right to dictate what comedy is."

• On Friendship and Perception:
  Marc Maron (13:00): "But just the idea that someone's perception of me was so different than what I was experiencing even back then was kind of devastating and uplifting at the same time."

• On Letting Go of Grievances:
  Tom Scharpling (67:47): "There's just, like, a moment where I was just like, you know, Kevin Smith's not hurting anybody...he just makes movies I don't like...Like, I'm gonna set that sword right."

• On Artistic Aspiration:
  Tom Scharpling (44:41): "All I ever wanted, my goal in this was to make things and participate in things that I would have...I would want to see or hear. And if I can pay my bills and actually call this my job, it's like, that's...That was all I ever wanted."

Important Timestamps

• Marc’s Poetic Opening/Personal Reflections: 02:13 – 16:00
• Podcasting Authenticity & Advertisements: 17:04 – 26:32
• Tom’s History with The Best Show / Podcasting Origins: 21:41 – 25:47
• Evolving Guest Types & Podcast Format: 26:32 – 30:09
• Comedy, Content, and Gatekeeping: 31:33 – 42:15
• Podcasting Saturation & Value of Talk: 98:11 – 99:51
• Marc and Tom on Silence & Radio Skills: 93:08 – 94:51
• On Friendship, Legacy, and the Podcast Continuum: 87:21 – 92:23
• Closing Reflections on Transition and Letting Go: 95:04 – 99:54

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is informal, candid, and often introspective, colored with the blend of existential humor, midlife wisdom, and gentle self-mockery both hosts are known for. Tom and Marc riff amicably, sometimes with John Worster chiming in, generating the feeling of a late-night chat among old friends who have weathered a lot of change together. There’s nostalgia, some lamentation, but ultimately an embrace of evolution and continued curiosity.

Final Thoughts

Listeners get an intimate portrait of two podcasting titans contemplating change—personal, artistic, and cultural. The episode is less about specific showbiz gossip or career launches, and more about the broad currents that shape contemporary creative life: vulnerability, authenticity, adaptation, and enduring friendship.

Recommended for:
Fans of longform, reflective conversation; those interested in the evolution of comedy and podcasting; creative professionals navigating shifting landscapes; anyone who values the real, unguarded dialogues between peers.

For details on Tom Scharpling’s Best Show 25th anniversary tour, visit thebestshow.net. To learn more about Marc’s upcoming projects, including the documentary Are We Good?, check out arewegoodmaron.com.