Two podcasters are kicking off their new improv series by breaking the “don’t judge a book by its cover” rule.
Setting out to unearth the hidden philosophical implications of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, Weston Scott and Adam Niemann are thoroughly examining the book, page by page, starting with its cover. Each episode of the podcast, titled Green Eggs… and Man?, is dedicated to a single page. So during the first episode, which premiered April 20, the duo solely discusses the book’s cover at length.
New episodes of the series will drop every Tuesday until Scott and Niemann have covered the text in its entirety.
“It’s easier to commit to something when the end is in sight, so the idea of doing a page-by-page deep reading of a children’s book just worked,” Scott said. “We knew we wanted to do a podcast, and we wanted just enough of a structure to jump off from and make our own.”
But what led Scott and Niemann to settle on Green Eggs and Ham specifically?
“Adam and I just go back and forth with ideas until we find one that makes both of us laugh,” Scott said. “Honestly, we picked Green Eggs and Ham because it’s just inherently funny and everyone gets what it’s about.”
As Scott lives in Orcutt, and Niemann lives in Walnut Creek, this pair of pen pals resolved to record their latest creative endeavor over Zoom. But thanks to the magic of Niemann’s editing skills, it’s hard to tell the two co-hosts aren’t conversing in the same room, Scott said.
While reading between the lines of Green Eggs and Ham, so to speak, the big question Scott and Niemann hope to answer for themselves by the end of the series is whether or not the book is appropriate for Niemann to read to his child-on-the-way.
This point is perfectly lyricized in the podcast’s opening theme song: “’Cuz if you’re gonna make a baby/ It would be a little crazy/ If you read a book to it/ Without really knowing it/ Sit your bottom down and let’s figure it out/ I think it’s time to talk about/ Green Eggs/ And Man?”
The song was composed and performed by Orcutt-based musician—and acclaimed podcaster in his own right—Chris Lambert.
“When Wes and Adam asked me to compose a theme song for a podcast about Green Eggs and Ham, I immediately knew what I wanted it to sound like,” Lambert said. “Writing a theme song—especially a silly one—was a much needed brain rest for me.”
Lambert also wrote the closing theme song, which he described as nonsensical and “inexplicably somber,” and even helped design the show’s logo.
“Chris cranked them out [both songs] truly just a few hours after we asked him to record them, and they made our show 50 times better. He also did the stellar graphic art, and has a pretty successful podcast of his own,” Scott said, tipping his hat to Lambert’s Your Own Backyard.
Comparatively, Green Eggs… and Man? probably won’t lead to any arrests, but Scott and Niemann hope their musings are arresting enough to keep listeners coming back for more each week.
In Scott’s opinion, the best segment of the show is “Going Deep,” in which he and Niemann delve into their wildest interpretations of the book, tying the words and illustrations found on each page to the Bible, Friedrich Nietzsche, Star Trek, Sex and the City, and more.
“If Dr. Seuss heard any of these theories, I think a small smirk would grow across his face and he would stand up to applaud, a la Citizen Kane,” Scott said. “We really consider him to be our Moriarty—Adam and I are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, inevitably heading towards a face-off at Reichenbach Falls.”
Although there’s no telling whether Seuss would have enjoyed The Matrix, as he passed away eight years before the film’s release, Niemann asserted the author would have noticed unmistakable parallels between his work and the film.
“He might not have seen The Matrix, but hearing about Morpheus and humans being batteries for a robot apocalypse, I’m sure he’d be 100 percent on board with that being the primary interpretation of his book,” Niemann said.
Red and blue fish and red and blue pills aside, Niemann’s favorite segment of the podcast is “Putting It to the Test,” where he and Scott improvise a scenario within the context of the page they’re examining.
“I love the wild energy Wes always brings to improv, but this segment also feels like a taste for what the show evolves into,” Niemann said. “As we go on, we start incorporating more improv elements throughout the show, and I really enjoyed recording that roller coaster of a journey.”
Send podcast recommendations to Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 22-29, 2021.