''Hollywood Babble-On'' is a weekly

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

featuring filmmaker

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...

and radio personality

Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, musician and radio host best known as the host of ''The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series ''Family Guy'', former entertainment reporter and impress ...

. The show features Smith and Garman discussing the week's celebrity, movie, and other pop culture news.

Show history

Kevin Smith was a frequent guest on a popular Los Angeles Ca, Radio show

Kevin and Bean ''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock- format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...

on 106.7

KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The sta ...

, and suggested to Ralph Garman (entertainment reporter) they do a show on the station. They recorded two pilots, which were passed on. The show was called ''The Showbiz Beat'' (after Garman's regular spot on the Kevin and Bean Show) and was released in 2012 as Hollywood Babble-On #91. In August 2010, Garman and Smith started recording ''Hollywood Babble-On'' at Smith's SModcastle theater; the podcast was subsequently moved to the larger capacity ''Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theatre'', formerly known as the '' Jon Lovitz Comedy Club''. The show also tours, but this is limited due to Garman's day job. On April 22, 2013, Smith announced through Twitter that the podcast would no longer be recorded at the ''Lovitz'' after a falling out with Lovitz. He announced on April 25 that the show's new regular home will be '' The Hollywood Improv'' from May 24 onwards. Said comments and a further explanation on the falling-out with Lovitz were addressed at the beginning of Episode #126 of the podcast (recorded on May 4, 2013 but was later removed). Garman gained a significant amount of public attention in December 2017, after being let go from his long-time position at KROQ, due to downsizing by new management. On a wave of support from local, national, and international fans (accumulated from his work on both KROQ & Hollywood Babble-On) Garman launched his own new podcast called The Ralph Report. He now hosts this podcast full-time, as well as co-hosting Hollywood Babble-On. With Garman no longer tied to KROQ, Hollywood Babble-On has been freed up to tour more than it was able to in earlier years. On September 14, 2018, Ralph Garman announced that both and he and Kevin Smith were being sued by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for unauthorized use of the image of the Hollywood sign, and of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in their visual representation of the show.

Format

The show discusses current events happening in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, and includes segments (of variable frequency) such as: * ''What Strain is Kevin on?'': The opening segment in which Ralph asks Kevin what

cannabis strain ''Cannabis'' strains is a popular name to refer to plant varieties of the monospecific genus ''Cannabis sativa'' L.. They are either pure or hybrid varieties of the plant, which encompasses various sub-species '' C. sativa'', '' C. indica'', ...

he has been smoking before the show. * ''KevIN'': Ralph presents various photographs sent in by fans of the podcast, which have been modified to include Kevin's image. * ''Shout Outs'': Ralph reads out Emails from people in the audience. * ''Email Bag'': Ralph reads out Emails from people from all over the world. * ''Inappropriate Toys'': Ralph and Kevin review pictures of toys sent in by listeners, that are obviously bad choices for one reason or another. * ''Kevin Smith: Butthole Judge'': Ralph presents audience submitted media clips of high-profile actors in nude scenes, and Kevin determines whether the celebrity's posterior orifice is visible. This is an extension from the "Anne Heche's Butthole" segment discussed early in the podcast, during which Anne Heche's posterior is revealed in the Gus Van Sant remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. * ''Green Lantern Oath'': Ralph recites the

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

oath in the guise of different famous personalities. * ''Creepy Clown Time'': Ralph sings Entrance of the Gladiators to Kevin to scare him (Kevin is notoriously afraid of clowns), in the manner of various famous personalities. In episode #254 (8/26/2016), Ralph does a hybridized version of Creepy Clown Time, in which he sings an amalgamation of Happy Birthday with the Entrance of the Gladiators theme. * ''Hitler in the Movies'': Where Hitler (and the Nazis in general) is/are inserted into movie titles. This segment was retired in episode 271, 2/11/2017, and replaced by a similar segment involving Donald Trump in the presidency. * ''Inappropriate Toys'': The segment shows toys and games that were designed for children that contain (often unintentionally) sexual and/or scatological imagery. * ''PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)'': Ralph sings to the background music of this song made popular by Japanese popstar Pikotaro, in the voice of various fan-requested celebrities. * ''They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! – Napoleon XIV'': Ralph sings the song in a variety of voices. * ''Your Town's Got a Fucked Up Name'': In a segment initiated by fans sending in signs displaying their hometown names, Ralph and Kevin discuss the variably questionable names of towns around the globe. In episode #280 (6/2/2017), this segment receives its own official segment theme. * ''What the Fuck, Japan?'': In a segment initiated by the popularity of PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen), Ralph and Kevin discuss the latest news regarding inexplicably popular fads in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. In episode #272 (2/18/2017), this segment receives its own official segment theme. * ''Arnold Sings Children's Themes'': Ralph sings various songs, usually children's themes, in the voice of

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

. * ''Arnold Sings 80s Hits'': Ralph sings popular music of the 1980s in the voice of

. *''Stallone Sings'': Ralph sings in the voice of

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

. *''Dynamic Duets'': Ralph and Kevin sing duet songs in the voices of

Adam West William West Anderson (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), known professionally as Adam West, was an American actor. He portrayed Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in ...

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and Tom Hardy's Bane. * ''Pee-Wee Herman Monologues'': Ralph recites famous monologues from various movies and television shows in the voice of character Pee Wee Herman. * ''Tinseltown Stiffs'': Where recently deceased Hollywood celebrities are discussed. * ''This Week in Bad Names'': Where Ralph self-admittedly "goes off the rails", and calls into question the names chosen by celebrities for their offspring. (official segment theme initiated 8/26/2016) * ''Shit That Should Not Be'': An exposure of errors made on set or in production on a finished piece. * ''Exquisite Acting'': Similar to the previous, except exposing poorly delivered performances by actors/actresses. * ''Hollywood Helper'': Where the pair point out acts of helpfulness or charity amongst the show business crowd. * ''No Thanks- We've Already Got One'': Where Ralph discusses new upcoming television shows or movies that are remakes of old material. (official segment theme initiated 11/11/2016) * ''HB-O Headlines'': Ralph reviews current news headlines related to celebrities. * ''Movies That Will Suck'': Which predicts upcoming productions that tout a lackluster premise, usually revolving around needless sequels or remakes. * ''Geek News'': The duo discuss upcoming TV, movies, comics etc. falling under the geek umbrella. * ''PorgsIN'': In this subset segment of ''Geek News'', fans of the show send in artwork depicting the inclusion of the newest Star Wars universe characters Porgs in various scenarios, a la KevIN segment fashion. Debuted on 10/20/2017, Episode 295. * ''How Big is Liam Neeson's Cock?'': Each show also finishes with their favored entries submitted by members of the public from the

Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...

account Liam Neeson's Cock (a page dedicated to fictitious claims originally based on Janice Dickinson's comparison of Liam Neeson's penis to an Evian bottle). Each segment is preceded by a characteristic lead-in introduction song. Other recurring segments on the show have involved the hosts discussing the latest exploits of celebrities including

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...

, Farrah Abraham and

Amanda Bynes Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a child actor, appearing on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' (1996–2000) and its spin-off series '' The Amanda Show'' (1999–2002). ...

. When discussing current events with Smith, Garman will also perform impressions of famous actors such as

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

, and

. Fans of the show have created an informal

drinking game Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages and often enduring the subsequent intoxication resulting from them. Evidence of the existence of drinking games dates back to antiquity. Drinking games have been banne ...

(mostly centered on Garman's phrase "''How dare you, sir?''" and Smith's overuse of the word "''whatnot''"), which the hosts have mentioned approvingly.

''Hollywood Babble-On Comic Con Theater''

Smith has had all three issues of his comic series '' Batman: Cacophony'' "dramatized" during three special episodes of his

, entitled ''Hollywood Babble-On Comic Con Theater''. Primarily performed by his co-host

, who used several of his better-known impressions to represent the main characters, both episodes were essentially a read-through of one of the issues of the story. Garman's voicing of the main characters included the "voices" of

as Batman,

as the Joker (initially, this was Garman's impression of

Cesar Romero César Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lover (stereotype), Latin lovers, historical ...

's Joker, but Smith suggested using Wynn's voice instead),

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

as Commissioner Gordon, and

as Maxie Zeus. Smith acted as the "omnipotent narrator" and voice of Onomatopoeia in both episodes. In the first episode (podcast #43), an audience member was brought up to cover several other minor character roles; in the second episode (podcast #65), Smith brought in voice-over actor/announcer

Kyle Hebert Kyle Henry Hebert ( ) is an American voice actor known for his work in anime and video game series, such as the teenage/adult Gohan and the narrator in the Funimation dub of the ''Dragon Ball series'', Sōsuke Aizen in ''Bleach'', Ryu in the ...

to voice Alfred (which he did in a

cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...

accent somewhat reminiscent of

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

, who played Alfred in ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...

'' and ''

The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005), and the second inst ...

'') and others, and cohort

Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...

to voice most of the female characters. (Smith and Hebert also voiced two of Zeus' henchmen, as well as other characters in the second episode.) Smith's other comic '' Batman: The Widening Gyre'', which is a six-part series, is also being "dramatized" on ''Hollywood Babble-On Comic Con Theater''. Garman and Smith also acted out their collaborative comic series special issues where

(

's version) and

Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of me ...

(

Van Williams Van Zandt Jarvis Williams (February 27, 1934 – November 28, 2016) was an American actor best known for his leading role as Kenny Madison in both Warner Bros. television detective series '' Bourbon Street Beat'' (1959–1960) and its sequ ...

' version) met again to take on General Gumm ( Roger C. Carmel's Colonel Gumm with a higher ranking) and

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...

(

's version). The comic series is significant for being the first crossover between the 1966 ''

'' series and ''

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...

'' series since the 1967's episode "Batman's Satisfaction" (with guest stars from ''The Green Hornet''s

and

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

). In Episode 306 (New Year's Eve Episode 2017), Ralph and Kevin perform Babble-On Theatre for the first time on a work not written by either. ''Batman 66'', Issue 27 "Bane Enters the Ring", serves as the centerpiece for the episode. In Episode 337, Ralph and Kevin perform a portion of Kevin's Green Arrow: Quiver comic book (Green Arrow, Vol 3, Issue 4 of ten).

TV show

In July 2012 Smith and Garman announced they were in negotiations with an unnamed network about a ''Hollywood Babble-On'' TV show. They revealed in February 2013 that it would not be going ahead as the network wanted them to stop the podcast as a part of the deal and other network negotiation/communication issues. In November 2013 the duo revealed that

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

had shown interest in a TV show and in March 2014 ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' confirmed AMC have ordered a pilot which will be filmed on Sunday August 3 following an August 2 rehearsal. On October 10, 2014, AMC announced that they have decided not to continue its line of Unscripted Television shows except for '' Comic Book Men'' and ''

Talking Dead ''Talking Dead'' is a live television aftershow in which host Chris Hardwick discusses episodes of the AMC television series '' The Walking Dead'', ''Fear the Walking Dead'' and '' The Walking Dead: World Beyond'' with guests, including celebrit ...

''. Because of this the ''Hollywood Babble-On'' TV Show was not picked up. The pilot was released via BabbleVision in 2017.

BabbleVision

Starting from June 2, 2017, each show of ''Hollywood Babble-On'' is now available as a full, professionally shot, video at BabbleVision.com as part of SModCo's subscription based service SModCost. During weeks in which there is no show, supplementary bonus material will be provided in the way of Classic Babble episodes. The show is shot and edited by Josh Roush of Roush Multimedia.

Awards and recognition

In 2010, the podcast was placed upon iTunes' Best Podcasts of 2010 and won the 2012

Stitcher Stitcher was a media company that specialized in the creation, distribution, and monetization of podcasts. Stitcher created original shows through networks such as Earwolf and Witness Docs. Stitcher provided ad sales and distribution services to ...

award for Best Film & TV podcast. It then won the Best Entertainment + Pop Culture podcast at the 2013 Stitcher awards.

References

External links

* {{Kevin Smith Comedy podcasts Works by Kevin Smith Audio podcasts Film and television podcasts 2010 podcast debuts SModcast podcasts