LOS ANGELES — Barack Obama helped Marc Maron lock the doors on his podcast Monday, returning to the series for the final episode after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes.
The former president gave “WTF With Marc Maron” and podcasts in general a new status when he visited Maron’s garage studio in Los Angeles while he was still in office a decade ago. Obama brought the 62-year-old host, comedian and actor to his Washington office for the latest interview.
Obama asked the first questions.
“How do you feel about all this?” » he said: “the transition, coming out of this thing that was one of the defining parts of your career and your life?
“I feel good,” Maron replied. “I feel like I’m kind of ready for the break, but there’s a kind of fear of what do I do now? I’m busy. But, much like your job…I have a lot of people who, over the last 16 years, have learned to rely on me.”
Maron laughed as he acknowledged that he was comparing his podcasting work to the presidency.
“I think it’s pretty similar,” Obama said.
The identity of the guest was not revealed until the end of the episode, and fans had been speculating. Obama was a popular guess, both because of his relationship with “WTF” and because Maron, in an interview with Variety in July, said Obama would be his ideal final conversation.
The host explained the decision in an unusually brief and simple introduction to the episode.
“It became clear that the guest we needed was singular,” Maron said, “in the sense that he could address the importance of this being our final episode, but also how we operate in the world we live in, as scary as it is.”
Maron asked Obama for advice on leaving the biggest job of his life.
“You still have a few chapters left,” Obama said. “Don’t rush into what’s next. Take your time. Take some satisfaction in looking back.”
After a lengthy speech on the state of the world, Obama brought the topic back to Maron’s farewell.
“I think everything will be fine,” Obama said. “I think part of the reason you had such a large fan base over those 16 years is that there was a basic decency about you and the conversations you had.”
He added: “I think it reflects who we are. »
Maron avoided sentimental farewell speeches during the episode — he fixed that on Thursday in his penultimate episode, where he spoke directly and emotionally to his listeners.
“I’m grateful to have been a part of your life,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot together. A lot of breakups. Death. Cats. The world.”
Obama’s new episode was number 1,686 of the pioneering and influential long-running interview podcast, which had humble beginnings in 2009 as a place where he worked out his problems with other stand-up comedians in the garage of his home that he nicknamed “The Cat Ranch.”
Maron’s cats have always been a staple of the show. His final words during Monday’s episode were tributes to those who had died.
“Cat angels everywhere,” he said.
For most of its years, the show opened with a fan-composed rock ‘n’ roll theme song that opens with an audio clip of Maron in his small role in the film “Almost Famous” shouting “Lock the doors!” The song is named after one of Maron’s common phrases, “Are We Doing This?” » Another sentence like: “Are we good? » was often his last question to guests and is the title of a new documentary about him.
Eventually, with the help of guests like Obama, Robin Williams and Paul McCartney, “WTF” became a media institution where authors, artists, musicians, Hollywood stars and political leaders told their stories.
Maron announced in June that he and his longtime producing partner Brendan McDonald had decided to end the series. He said there was no particular reason other than he was tired and totally satisfied with the work they had done.
On Monday, Maron appeared emotional as he read from a pseudo-legal document he had drafted for Obama to sign, relieving McDonald “of the professional responsibility of listening to me speak.”
