Log 11: Harris Wittels

When I found out over two years ago that Harris Wittels--a comedian and writer best known for his work on Parks and Recreation and The Sarah Silverman Program--had died, I was shocked. I was a huge fan of his work on Parks and Recreation and a couple other shows, but I knew him best from his appearances on podcasts like Comedy Bang! Bang!, Who Charted?, and U Talkin' U2 to Me. I had spent so many hours of my life listening to him talk and goof around on podcasts that when he died, it felt like I lost a friend, even though I never even knew him. And I wasn't alone in this either. I saw so many other comments from people who felt the same way. I found it really interesting that so many people truly felt like they knew him and shared many memories with him--all because of podcasts. It's a medium that isn't often associated with meaningful connections between listener and podcaster, especially in the comedy genre, as it's more associated with entertainment. But through being able to sit on these moments of Harris's life--everything from telling dumb jokes on Comedy Bang! Bang! to opening up about his drug addiction and experience in rehab on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes--many listeners, including myself, grew to really care about him as a person. After he died, I went back and listened to some of my favorite podcast episodes with him, and eventually ended up just searching his name in the podcast app and listening to literally every single one of his podcast appearances. And now when I miss him, I go back and listen to his voice, and I usually end up in a better mood, because, like Chelsea Perreti told Scott Aukerman, "every little thing he said was funny." And because of these podcasts, every little thing he said is available to listen to whenever you want.