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Welcome to the fourth episode of Problems, a radio drama about Pam and Joel, two old friends who support each other through their problems…because no problem is too small to complain about.
In this episode, Joel pays a visit to Pam at her house and brings her a small gift. Joel’s daughter, Whitney, has started at public school. Pam’s daughter River had a harder time at public school, and now she’s back at the local private school.
Welcome.
Dear Erica,
I just don’t understand Rumble Strip anymore. How can you make pieces as sensitive as the ones with JP Sinclair and T.O. (among many other wonderful shows) yet waste tape on the vacuousness of Pam and Joel? Problems? Honestly, I think Pam has more problems than she knows. She and Joel deserve each other, they are so awful. I don’t think they are friends, I think they are co-dependent leeches. I feel so sorry for River. I mean, I know she’s a biter, and everything, but I’m beginning to understand that she’s just a kid, acting out. I mean, does Pam even let River see her Dad, or does she feed her some crap like he went surfing one day and just never came back in, like Patrick Swayze in Pointbreak?
On an interviewing, or possibly editing front, it is EXTREMELY IRRITATING that you keep promising to tell us about the resolution to Joel’s bathroom renovation, but we never get to hear about it. I mean, Are they still only using two bathrooms? What about the grout? C’mon! I’m just about ready to unclick the green button!
Kind Regards,
Stan
Hi Tristan. I’m so sorry that I never followed up on the bathroom renovation. You are RIGHT to be annoyed. The renovation went really, really well, and it’s AMAZING what you say about River’s dad because this is close to what did happen. River’s dad is a CSA farm director and he got an offer in the midwest and they just never heard from him again. I know that Pam and Joel are horrible people, but I just keep coming back to them. Only a few times a year. But still. There they are…
Love these INCITEful comments . . .
I am curious by the Problems Series. It’s an improvised conversation between fictional, horrible people? Is this to point out how vapid some of our problems are?
Yes. Problems is an improvised series about two horrible people who do nothing but complain. One day I was hanging out with my friend-who-shall-not-be-named, and we were complaining about stupid, first world things, and in this conversation, Pam and Joel were born. Pretty much M and I just get on the phone and started talking, or he comes over and we turn on the recorder. In the last conversation, M really did bring me some coffee as a gift and he really has been to Bologna and so we just started there. I know they are really, really irritating but for some reason I love Pam and Joel.
I just discovered your podcast and was scrolling through to download a few to listen to while shoveling snow yesterday. I was drawn to problems for some reason, and loved it! The situations reminded me of the stuff Larry David comes up with for Curb. I could listen to this stuff for hours.
Reading through the comments on the “problems” pages, it is interesting to me that people got so worked about it- “Pam and Joel” are terrible people, etc. The thing is, and what the episodes really show, is that everyone is their own person and have their own priorities. Love hearing about the nitpicking of an amazing mountain biking vacation, so entertaining.
I love that you loved Problems. Most people hate it. But I could listen to Joel and Pam complain forever, and I love people who feel the same…