Did The Bombcast "Grow The Beard"? If so, when?

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Little_Socrates

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#1  Edited By Little_Socrates

Hey, Bombadiers,

This week's Bombcast sparked a conversation about the phenomenon known as "growing the beard" (in reference to Patrick literally growing a beard.) I'm curious; do you guys think the Bombcast had its own general "growing the beard" moment? If so, what was the cause?

If I had to pinpoint the earliest spot that makes sense, it would be the February-through-June '09 run that is practically 100% killer shows. It opens with the circuit-bent toy and maybe loses a little steam between E3 and CAX, but the show seems to have become the show we know and love from then forward. But I'm only a little farther than that in my first-ever Bombcast back-catalog run. Maybe it's the first episode where they actually used DSi Shop music when talking Nintendownloads? Maybe it's the first time we transition to Brad saying "Emails?" Curious to find out if anyone feels the Bombcast grew instantaneously rather than naturally.

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Video_Game_King

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When people started spamming YouTube with animated clips of the Bombcast? Whenever that was?

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ArbitraryWater

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#3  Edited By ArbitraryWater

Yeah, I'd say early 2009 isn't a bad guesstimate. It's definitely when they started loosening up and the podcast lengths slowly started to creep towards 3 hours. That, or when they started doing Nintendownloads.

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musubi

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God I miss Nintendownloads it was such a stupid stupid segment that brought me so much joy.

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joshthebear

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#5  Edited By joshthebear

Man, Nintendownloads were the best segment ever. Jeff was really firing on all cylinders.

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oraknabo

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It was when Jeff got fired from Gamespot.

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Butler

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I'm going to put this out there. Can we go with the term "The Beardening?" I much prefer to think in terms of beard growing with Highlander. Because that is what happens when you grow one.

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Winternet

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From 05 to 07. You know, the really good "bombcast".

In a bit more seriousness, I feel like the bombcast is very solid throughout the years. There's no period of time where I can say it's clearly better or worse. There are definitely episodes that are better but not because they are in a certain time period, only because that's how they went (aka the one where they "lost" the first recording and went and do another one accompanied by beers).

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EXTomar

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How does a podcast, which is an audio recording, grow facial hair?

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Benny

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#10  Edited By Benny
@winternet said:

From 05 to 07. You know, the really good "bombcast".

In a bit more seriousness, I feel like the bombcast is very solid throughout the years. There's no period of time where I can say it's clearly better or worse. There are definitely episodes that are better but not because they are in a certain time period, only because that's how they went (aka the one where they "lost" the first recording and went and do another one accompanied by beers).

I agree that because it's the spiritual successor to the hotspot you really need to look back at when the hotspot 'grew the beard.' Unfortunately the hotspot isn't on iTunes anymore :( There is a compilation of the best bits at http://www.thisyearcollection.org/2011/01/1-hotspot-2005.html though, which you should totally listen to if you have ever enjoyed a giant bombcast.

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Fredchuckdave

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#11  Edited By Fredchuckdave
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ll_Exile_ll

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@benny said:
@winternet said:

From 05 to 07. You know, the really good "bombcast".

In a bit more seriousness, I feel like the bombcast is very solid throughout the years. There's no period of time where I can say it's clearly better or worse. There are definitely episodes that are better but not because they are in a certain time period, only because that's how they went (aka the one where they "lost" the first recording and went and do another one accompanied by beers).

I agree that because it's the spiritual successor to the hotspot you really need to look back at when the hotspot 'grew the beard.' Unfortunately the hotspot isn't on iTunes anymore :( There is a compilation of the best bits at http://www.thisyearcollection.org/2011/01/1-hotspot-2005.html though, which you should totally listen to if you have ever enjoyed a giant bombcast.

Loading Video...

This is one of my favorite "Giant Bomb" moments, even it is was before Giant Bomb even existed.

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Alexander

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#13  Edited By Alexander

I seem to remember Brian Ekberg being the beard master.

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GERALTITUDE

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Jeff grew the beard while still in the womb.

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jchenderson

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Bombcast came kicking and screaming into this world with a big arse scratchy beard. It's always been there!

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C2C

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In my opinion, Early 2009 was when GB grew a beard. You got Vinny hatin' on Flower, The whole GI Joe discussion, and the Red Alert sirens blarin' off at around that time.

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TheSouthernDandy

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#17  Edited By TheSouthernDandy

When this happened

Loading Video...

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tourgen

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#18  Edited By tourgen

bombcast was born with a full, lustrous beard

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AuthenticM

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#19  Edited By AuthenticM

TGS '08.

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bemusedchunk

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@oraknabo said:

It was when Jeff got fired from Gamespot.

Give this man a prize.

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onan

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When Vinny joined up. Up until then it was just Jeff and Ryan drinking energy drinks.

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JZ

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Pre-bearded from day one

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the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG

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when ryan grew one

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This is probably the fourth time Ive posted the image on this site

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Hunter5024

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#24  Edited By Hunter5024

The Bombcast is the Hotspot with a beard.

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super2j

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#25  Edited By super2j

@ll_exile_ll: Mine will always be the playstation guy who called in. that and the whole gizmondo thing. It really sucks I missed out on all that.

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Mezmero

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I don't think you can apply "growing the beard" to an audio format. Maybe it's just me but I can't hear the beard over the mic unless someone says outright that they currently possess a beard. So no, they never grew the beard. They just have more good bombcasts than bad ones.

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Ghostiet

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@extomar said:

How does a podcast, which is an audio recording, grow facial hair?

If Patrick and Jeff could, so can an audio recording. HOOOOO

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oct_ONES

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Ryan should put up his beard for one of his crazy E3 bets this year. I'm convinced he no longer has a face underneath it.

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kraznor

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Hmm, I'm sorry I can't name the exact episode, but there was one they did as a replacement for a lost recording that I found really extraordinary. Jeff had some manner of synthesizer he was playing around with and at one point he opened a portal that allowed Nintendo's Howard Phillips to enter and talk about how great Slalom was. Just a really silly, improvised bit that came out of nowhere. Re-listened to that episode several times. That was certainly a moment where I felt the Bombcast was doing something that iterated on what made The Hotspot so good. It was looser, but still quality.

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Wemibelle

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I think the Bombcast has its ups and downs. It's never terrible, but there are particularly great episodes and fairly meh ones scattered throughout the hundreds of eps.

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yoshimitz707

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#31  Edited By yoshimitz707

Circuit bending was early '09? Geez, everything still feels like it was a year ago.

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GValo

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#32  Edited By GValo

t (aka the one where they "lost" the first recording and went and do another one accompanied by beers).

Do you remember which episode this is? I forgot about it and would love to re-listen to it

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Jimbo

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No, but it did jump the 'Shock.

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HerbieBug

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God I miss Nintendownloads it was such a stupid stupid segment that brought me so much joy.

Nothing stops the train! D:

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Leptok

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When Brad and Vinny joined up?