Overview

Jordan, Jesse GO! is, simply put, two friends and occasionally a guest talking. It’s the brainchild of public radio host Jesse Thorn (aka America’s Radio Sweetheart) and sketch comedian and Fuel TV host Jordan Morris (aka Boy Detective).

Each week on the show the two friends discuss anything and everything including Jesse’s early life as the only white inner city youth in San Francisco to Jordan’s passionate love for obscure video games and everything in between. One question still remains. Is it entertaining?

Review

JJGO! is something that needs to be experienced in order to understand how great it is. After listening to three years’ worth of shows in a span of three months I can safely say that it is entertaining. The interaction between the two hosts is the core of the show. They were best friends in college who had worked on a radio show similar to this called The Sound of Young America, which Jesse later took sole ownership of and continues to host on public radio. They both have a quick wit and easily balance each other out.

Guests are a big part of the show as well. Many comedians and friends of the guys drop by and chat with them. Most are pretty entertaining and have an easy time fitting into the show. Some of the more interesting guests include their old college friend and rapper Ashkon, who received some minor success for a song called “Hot Tubbin’.” comedian Paul F. Tompkins, and comedian Chris Fairbanks.

Callers also phone in to the show for different segments like momentous occasions or moments of shame where they relay something amazing or something horrible that has just recently happened to them. The hosts then pick apart the calls and usually go off on some sort of stream of consciousness tangent about what they just heard.

The show does have some low points though. Every so often if they book a guest that doesn’t really interact with the host and just keeps quiet. There are a few episodes where they might as well have not had a guest because of the lack of involvement. Also, some of the segments on the show are genuinely funny like “Jordan Sings a Song,” in which Jordan awkwardly sings a public domain song, or “Judge John Hodgman,” in which humor writer and minor television personality John Hodgman is called upon to render a verdict in case between two friends with opposing views on ridiculous topics. These segments are great, but are sometimes infrequent or just plain done away with after a few episodes.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the easiest podcasts to get hooked on. It is genuinely entertaining to listen to these people talk and tell ridiculous stories from their life. It can sometimes remind me of conversations with my friends, and that somewhat adds to the experience. If you are looking for something new to listen to then this may be what you need. I went into this show blind and found out how great a podcast could be.

Check out the show for yourself here.

Pros

• Genuinely funny conversation
• Interesting guests
• Great hosts

Cons

• Sometimes gets to derailed by side stories
• Lacking some interaction with guests
• Infrequent segments

Final Score: 9.0/10 (Outstanding)