This podcast is a comforting, fun, quirky show that’s more of a hangout than a trivia show. And that’s a good thing. Most episodes feature a good dynamic among the hosts, playful humor, and interesting tidbits throughout the brief runtime. My only complaints relate to the brevity and dimensionality. I think this format lends itself to longer episodes, and could benefit from a guest every-so-often. They’ve begun adding a video component to the podcast, which I am happy to see, and would also be willing to support via Patreon, etc.
My only other suggestion would be to have more episodes where other hosts of the show get to ask their own trivia questions. Elyse Willems, the main question-asker and heel of the show, does a lot of this heavy lifting. She’s also commonly tasked with getting the other three hosts back on track, a feat in which she has nearly proved capable of doing. I salute her persistence in the face of such futility. On the flip side, her Canadian upbringing has often proved to be her downfall when asking topical trivia questions to the group of chronically-online Americans, as Canada only received its first internet-capable computer in 2004 (a fact I did not hear on this podcast)!
Furthermore, I believe AJ LoCascio, talented voice over artist and famed “piggie of the podcast,” would appreciate the opportunity to ask his co-hosts a myriad of Mike Myers-related questions which could feature tens of minutes of impressions for him to draw upon. AJ’s obsession with Myers seems to have led him to a career in the voice over industry, purely as a means to justify the home installation of a recording booth, where he’s spent countless hours perfecting such iconic impressions as Austin Powers (1997), The Cat In The Hat (2003) and Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002).
James Willems, the main question-hearer and heel of the show, is actually the original host that this show is based on. That’s right, “Answer for It” is the podcast adaptation of the stage production by the very same name. So if you’ve seen the off-Broadway production (meaning, not performed anywhere near Broadway), then you may consider skipping the podcast, as most of the questions have already been spoiled for you. But like most shows in this era of massive corporate content-producing factories, the podcast serves as a pre-sequel to the original, allowing more character development and storylines to be fleshed out. Please note: this is all an assumption, as I have not seen the theatrical show.
Lastly, but certainly not leastly, is Zach Anner - the bad boy of the podcast. His unique wit and classic one-liners are often the highlight of the show for me. Interestingly, he seems to have the most correct answers to the trivia questions, leading me to believe he’s got some sort of Slumdog Millionaire-type backstory that has allowed him to know such obscure yet valuable facts such as who the tallest Michael is, and every Academy Award Paris Hilton was nominated for.
In all seriousness, this podcast is a lot of fun and worth giving it a chance if you’re curious. Sure, the trivia takes a backseat, but the humor and charm keeps me coming back every week. Many years ago, sitting around the lunch table with my buddies as a high school student with undiagnosed-ADHD, I’d read a fact from a Snapple cap and it would spark a conversation that eventually became filled with inside jokes, obscure references, and off-topic debates. In an age where many of us feel constantly stressed and isolated in our adult lives, this podcast has provided a comfort that brings me back to those days, and I’m grateful. Thank you, AJ, James, Zach and Elyse.
