Stephanie and Rachel: two fun ladies just trying to have a good time. Courtesy of Steph and Rach Aren’t Funny.

I know I’m not alone when I say that living in the world nowadays – let alone America – is tough. Very tough. Political discourse. COVID-19. International tragedies galore. We all need some time to turn off the news and escape for a while, go someplace else and laugh about frivolous things. For two years now, ever since a global virus decided to take over and force us to stay indoors, podcasts have become the new “escape” for the world. A podcast is like digital “medicine” that eases our stress. Of course, there are serious podcasts out there, a particular plethora of true crime ones dominating the medium. There are funnier, lighter ones with a theme in mind, and then there are ones like Steph and Rach Aren’t Funny, a series about two young Jewish women who talk about anything and everything. There is no “plot” or central focus. There are no far-reaching, vital conversations about topical issues plaguing the world. The podcast is just girl talk, and it’s absolutely hilarious.

For the hosts of the show, Rachel (“Rach”, pronounced like “ratch”) and Stephanie, all they want to do is “give you a fun yet chill experience, like we’re all sitting on a couch together in your mom’s basement.” They would also like everyone to know that they’re “living the dream,” “shooting the sh*t,” and “#1 on your dad’s a$$.” You’ll know what you’re getting into as soon as you see Steph and Rach’s episode titles. They include:

  • STEPH GETS A BOWL CUT
  • LARRY DAVID IS A JEWISH GRANDMA
  • PUGS AND CIRCUMCISION (SNIP SNIP)
  • SHMABAHAFSA (RACH MADE UP A WORD)
  • FRIDAY THE 13TH WHORE’R STORIES

Currently at 94 episodes, with new episodes airing weekly, Steph and Rach follows the two titular best friends and comedians living on the west coast. Through Zoom, for about 20-30 minutes, they talk about their week. Their lives. What’s something funny or extremely unfortunate that recently happened to them. They laugh. They curse. They make fun of themselves. They make dirty jokes. They air their dirty laundry to the world and don’t care one bit. They talk like friends talk to one another.

It sounds crazy to think that a podcast with no story or focus could be so entertaining, but thanks to these comedians’ outrageous candor, Steph and Rach is a pleasant diversion from the day. There is the conversation where Rachel talks about her recent July 4th trip to Disneyland and how a park so acclaimed can still manage to have the dirtiest facilities. In another episode, Steph and Rachel call their friend to find out what the phrase “mercury is in retrograde” means. In their “FRIDAY THE 13TH WHORE’R STORIES” episode, Stephanie reminisces about the time Rachel saw a stripper pole in someone’s house, raced towards it, and climbed it “in the sense that a monkey climbs a tree.” Stephanie then attempts to recount her own “whore’r” story.

“I streaked once,” Stephanie says. “But I can’t remember the whole story.”

There is a long pause, and then Rachel speaks.

“You were on drugs.”

They burst out laughing.

The hosts also want to make it very clear that they are Jewish, joking in one episode that they have sensed a little skepticism from listeners. They play a Buzzfeed quiz called “How Jewish Are You?” on air, checking off all the Jewish foods they have eaten in their lives. They agree that jarred gefilte fish is gross, but challah, kugel, shakshuka, and brisket are delicious. Matzo brei, on the other hand, is just like a “soggy-ass cracker.” Rachel has also never heard of kasha varnishkes, while Stephanie adds that she probably isn’t familiar with it because the dish is very “east coast Jew.” Perhaps my favorite Jewish joke they make is an episode where Stephanie says they had “Shabbat Chiladas” for Rachel’s birthday because it was Friday night…and they ate enchiladas.

In addition to speaking through a microphone, Steph and Rach’s YouTube channel is a further extension of their comedy, featuring sketches and videos from Rachel’s own TikTok account, @yourlocaljeww. On her page, you’ll witness plenty of videos of her and her pugs in any situation, even if she’s on the toilet. Her favorite hashtag: #pugsoftiktok. Rachel also celebrates Christmas with her family, and in one particular video, she vows to never wrap her father’s presents for her mother ever again. She pans the camera, and we see her uncomfortably holding a sexy nightie.

On YouTube, SPERM BANK is Stephanie and Rachel’s most viewed sketch. With close to 75,000 views, we follow Rachel’s appointment at a building titled “Take a Load Off.” She tells the assistant at the front desk, Stephanie, that she would like to make a “withdrawal,” and then dives into what type of male donor she is looking for. The video nears the end.

“So we will contact you after the background check is complete.” says Stephanie.

“Thank you so much for your help! You’ve been great.” replies Rachel.

“Come again!”

“Oh, I will…”

It’s moments like this where I found myself laughing out loud, even though I don’t know these people. Perhaps it’s because Rachel and Stephanie remind me, in a way, of my own sister and her friends when we were kids. Granted, they weren’t as raunchy as Rachel and Stephanie (at least when I was in the room…), but they certainly loved to laugh and reminisce about embarrassing moments. There is something about podcasts like these, ones where we just eavesdrop on two ordinary, very funny people, that is so stress-relieving. They remind us that despite the pain and anxieties we’ve all been going through for so long now, we can still laugh. Laughing at the most random of things is what gets us through the day.

Steph and Rach Aren’t Funny is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

By Matthew Bussy, Program Director of PJFM