Pat Francis and Never Not Funny
Jimmy Pardo's been a stand up-upward comedian for decades, but found a larger fanbase thanks to his podcast Never Not Funny. This Sabbatum, he celebrates x years of 1 of the show'south signature events: Pardcast-A-Thon.
It's a 12-hour, telethon-style comedy talk show, running apex to midnight, with more 30 guests. And it'south always an instant sellout, quickly filling its Burbank venue -- but y'all can lookout the whole thing on Pardcastathon.com or YouTube. (Or right here!)
This year's announced lineup include Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis, and The Skillful Place'due south Jameela Jamil. They as well auction off unique chances similar existence a guest on the podcast, getting a tour of Conan O'Brien's studio and more.
Comedian Jimmy Pardo (Bruce Smith)
PODCASTING Likewise Early
Pardo got in early on podcasting, launching Never Not Funny in 2006. But for a long fourth dimension, no i listened.
"I kind of felt like I was screaming at the sky, or I was some loser that was doing cable access television at iii o'clock in the morning," Pardo said.
Pardo and co-host Matt Belknap developed a loyal fanbase, only it wasn't growing. Pardo thought podcasting might only be a passing fad. Before calling it a solar day, they decided to try out a pay model -- and managed to retain the majority of their audition.
And then the one-act podcast boom happened. Hosts similar Marc Maron and Adam Carolla blew up while Never Not Funny remained behind a paywall with a small but loyal post-obit.
WHY A Charity PODCAST MARATHON?
The charity event initially seemed similar a good chance to become some attending.
"Information technology probably started as a publicity stunt," Pardo said. "Like, how do nosotros get people to notice the states in this vast sea of podcasting?"
Information technology came together when Belknap mentioned another show that had done a marathon, and Pardo started thinking dorsum to loving the Jerry Lewis telethons growing up. He thought that just doing a marathon without a crusade behind it would be self-indulgent.
They'd already washed a contest with a charity suggested by former co-host Pat Francis, Grin Train, then they decided to give information technology a shot.
"My dumb head was like, I tin can come across the results of my money -- $250 changes this child," Pardo said.
That'south the cost of a single cleft-palate surgery. Much to everyone's surprise, they raised $half dozen,000 that first outing. He said that, like Dr. Seuss's Grinch, he felt like his center had grown three sizes.
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
With comedian Paul F. Tompkins at the 2018 Pardcast-A-Thon. (Leora Saul for Never Not Funny)
Jon Hamm was an early on fan. He appeared on the testify early, and helped as the show discovered what it was going to be, popping his caput back in throughout the marathon.
"Jon Hamm showed up, and then kind of never left," Pardo said.
In the get-go year, they held the marathon overnight, from 9 p.m. to six a.m. Pardo had the idea because he always thought telethons were the most fun in the eye of the night -- merely afterwards a couple years, they decided that it might be more sane to do it during hours that more than people were awake.
"What are we trying to prove by doing this at 4 in the morning?"Pardo said. "Nobody'due south enjoying this."
The show hadn't even notified Smile Train that it was happening at first -- the charity didn't empathise why there were all of a sudden getting these crazy amounts of coin from these strangers.
Pardo said that it felt like the Fiddling Engine That Could -- each yr, the corporeality of money raised would become up. Concluding yr, they raised more than $200,000 during the evidence. They likewise started partnering with Smile Train officially -- they've traveled down to United mexican states to see the surgeries existence performed and to meet the families affected.
The show moved from being a day-after-Thanksgiving tradition to the leap, both in hopes of making information technology easier to book guests and to requite the hosts more time with their families effectually the holidays. Merely the move didn't end up helping them book guests.
"It turns out people are even so very, very busy if they don't want to do something," Pardo said.
While Pardo feels like maybe the Thanksgiving shows were the best fourth dimension for Pardcast-A-Thon, he can't argue with results.
"I mean, hell, we're raising more coin, then perhaps I'm f---ing incorrect, y'all know what I hateful?"
The Never Not Funny coiffure (from Fifty, clockwise): Matt Belknap, Eliot Hochberg, Garon Cockrell, and Jimmy Pardo. (Liezl Estipona for Never Not Funny)
FINDING THEIR Audition
After years of feeling left backside, they also joined the Earwolf podcasting network in the last few years and started releasing episodes for free, helping them to reach a bigger audition than ever.
That's helped the show to raise the bar for fundraising likewise. All these years later, Pardo said that getting the hourly totals is still his highlight of the event.
"And and so having those weird hours where the money merely goes up 300 bucks, and y'all're similar 'holy s---,' what's happening here?' And then the next hour jumps upwardly a couple thou, and you feel great over again," Pardo said.
The show'southward raised more a million dollars for Smile Train over the years, helping to treat three,000 children.
They also always take a number of surprise appearances -- by guests have included Conan O'Brien, Jon Cryer, Amy Poehler, Lisa Loeb, Kumail Nanjiani, amid others. Every 20 minutes, a new guest comes out.
"Expect, you don't like this guest? Wait 20 minutes, here's a new 1," Pardo said.
"And then, oh you really similar that guest? Well approximate what, he's washed, meet you later, here's a new ane."
The bear witness starts at noon this Saturday, May iv, and runs until midnight. You lot can watch the show and donate at Pardcastathon.com or on YouTube.
Source: https://laist.com/news/entertainment/how-once-failing-podcast-never-not-funny-raised-a-million-dollars-for-charity
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