Former President Obama helped Marc Maron lock the gates on his podcast Monday, returning to the show for the final episode after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes. The former president gave new status to "WTF With Marc Maron" and to podcasts in general when he visited Maron's Los Angeles garage studio while still in office a decade ago. Obama brought the 62-year-old host, stand-up comic, and actor to his Washington office for the last interview. Obama asked the initial questions, reports the AP. "How are you feeling about this whole thing—transition, moving on from this thing that has been one of the defining parts of your career and your life?," asked Obama.
"I feel OK," Maron answered. "I feel like I'm sort of ready for the break, but there is sort of a fear there, of what do I do now? I'm busy. But, not unlike your job … I've got a lot of people who over the last 16 years have grown to rely on me." Maron laughed as he acknowledged he was comparing his podcasting gig to the presidency. "I think it's pretty similar," Obama said. The identity of the guest was not revealed until the episode dropped, and fans had been speculating. Obama was a popular guess, both because of his relationship with "WTF" and because Maron in an interview with Variety in July said Obama would be his ideal final conversation.
The host explained the decision in an unusually brief and straightforward introduction to the episode. "It became clear that the guest we needed to have was singular," Maron said, "in that he could address the importance of this being our final episode, but also address how we move through the world we're living in, as frightening as it is." Maron asked Obama for advice on moving on from your life's biggest job. "You've still got a couple of chapters left," Obama said. "Don't rush into what the next thing is. Take a beat. Take some satisfaction looking backwards."
story continues below
"I think we're going to be OK," Obama said. "I think part of the reason you had such a big fan base during this 16-year run is there was a core decency to you and the conversations that you had." Maron avoided sentimental farewell talk—he got that out of the way in his penultimate episode, where he talked directly and emotionally to his listeners. "I'm grateful to have been part of your lives," he said. "We've been through a lot of stuff together. A lot of breakups. Death. Cats. The world." For most of its years, the show opened with a fan-composed rock theme song that opens with an audio sample of Maron in his small role in the film Almost Famous shouting, "Lock the gates!"