''WTF with Marc Maron'' 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 ...

and radio show hosted by stand-up comedian

Marc Maron Marc David Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician. In the 1990s and 2000s, Maron was a frequent guest on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and appeared more than forty times ...

. The show was launched in September 2009. The show is produced by Maron's former Air America co-worker Brendan McDonald.

Background

The show's title stems from the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

slang abbreviation ''WTF'' (for "What the

fuck ''Fuck'' () is profanity in the English language that often refers to the act of sexual intercourse, but is also commonly used as an intensifier or to convey disdain. While its origin is obscure, it is usually considered to be first attested ...

?"). ''WTF'' launched in September 2009 following the cancellation of Maron's Air America terrestrial radio program '' Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder''. Maron retained his Air America building keycard and, without permission, used their studios to record the first several episodes of ''WTF''. After the first episodes, Maron moved from New York to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Most episodes of the show are generally recorded in Maron's home garage, nicknamed "the Cat Ranch", in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He ends most podcasts with the phrase "Boomer lives" in honour of a cat he brought from New York who went missing. The phrase became a hashtag and his production company name. Occasionally shows are recorded in Maron's various hotel rooms (while on the road performing stand-up), the offices of his guests, or other locations. Every show opens with an audio sample of one of Maron's lines from the film '' Almost Famous'': "Lock the gates!" It began being distributed to radio by

Public Radio Exchange The Public Radio Exchange (PRX) is a non-profit web-based platform for digital distribution, review, and licensing of radio programs. The organization is the largest on-demand catalogue of public radio programs available for broadcast and internet ...

in 2012. On the June 2, 2025 episode with guest John Mulaney, Maron announced that the show will end "sometime in the fall".

Reception

''WTF'' has received generally positive reviews, including positive write-ups in ''The New York Times'' and ''Entertainment Weekly''. On average, it receives over 443,000 downloads per episode, with the show purportedly surpassing 600 million downloads by July 2022. In 2014, ''Rolling Stone'' listed ''WTF'' #1 on their list of ''The 20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now''. In 2022, the episode featuring

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

from April 26, 2010, was selected by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

for preservation in the United States

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," becoming the first recording from the 2010s to be inducted.

Awards

Notable podcasts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2009 podcast debuts Air America (radio network) American podcasts Audio podcasts Comedy podcasts Interview podcasts