PodGis with Ava Val

In this icy cold week in the barren Canadian winterscape, Val cozies up with all kinds of subject matter, including:

Watching a comedy show that she is not booked on; the difficulty of posing for photos; the clueless but well-intentioned TikTok commenter; her new accidental funhouse mirror that makes everything SO wide; the time her friend got in trouble for yelling something really innocuous at a teacher; her new Instagram scammer/impersonator; and naming your kids ridiculously mockable names.

Have a good week, but only if you're a good person!

Algis comes in fresh from a viewing of "The Last of Us" and comments on her emotional reaction from the third episode (don't worry, no spoilers!). Despite her emotionally charged state, she has a blast of a bees knees time discussing her recent doctor's appointment that made her misrepresent herself as a 'troubled person'; "Invisible Briefcases"; some more lamentations on online dating and how difficult it is to navigate "sex talk" with strangers; an Uber ride that involved a race against time, a "total shithorn", and an anxious driver; and then she concludes with a brief tale about an absolute heavyweight champion DORKUS M'LORKUS on the subway.

Have a good week (if you're a good person!)

Welcome to a VERY special episode of PodGis, indeed! For just the second time in the history of PodGis, Val invites a special guest to join her in the "studio" to hang out, chit-chat and have the silliest time!

This episode's guest is Val's dear friend (and oft-mentioned PodGis character) Noah, who is a very talented actor in Toronto. Noah and Algis get into it right away, discussing houses designed to make you uncomfortable, yet focused; Noah defends their palate and the two have a taste test of a favourite scotch of Noah's; they discuss scents, and what smells their hypothetical 'celebrity perfumes/colognes' would smell like; they share an embarrassing experience involving a residual bodily fluid on Algis' chest; they discuss an evocative piece of art in Algis' room; they do a reverse-tasting of a classic Algis drink of choice - a bizarre novelty brand of Mountain Dew; they share a touching moment reliving the "origin story" of their friendship; and then they end on a silly bit!

Guests on PodGis are very special, and Noah is no exception! Meet and fall in love with Algis' friend!

This episode has everything!

SILLIES: Val comes hot out the gate with funny bits about rappers.

OBSERVATIONS: About the growing trend of neurodivergent self-diagnosis, and the kids in class who had ADHD growing up.

MORE SILLIES: Funny takes on Val's friend's drink preferences, and how stupid it is to like 'bitter' things.

INSIGHT: A new take on smelling like pizza and the virtues of bathing in piping hot pizza air.

HEART: A reflection upon how far she's come, and how powerful time and experience are.

VULNERABILITY: About her sexual escapades, and a recent interaction with a lonely aqualounge patron.

MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN TO "DRAG HEALS" on OutTV February 10 at 9:30 pm, or stream it on Vimeo on Feb 10!

Welcome to F*#k Town, population ALGIS!

In this episode, Val talks a lot about Batman inside jokes and goes on a classic tangent, inventing a new Batman villain on the spot called "The Ostrich". She then talks about the prospects of PodGis and the exciting new future ahead, and closes it out with some observations on the recent "discourse" and "controversy" around the streamer known as F1nnster. Enjoy, and remember to always keep a keen eye on the skies for the threat of Batman's justice.

In this shorter episode, Val discusses being in the midst of a dog-sitting adventure and how challenging and revealing it has been for her. She also discusses "The Mole" on Netflix and how she completely buffoonerously spoiled it for herself, and then calls it a night to go cuddle with a pooch! This one's a softie! More later! Have a good week!

Let's get LUMPY! What a lumpy lumpy start, as Algis acknowledges her egregious blunder of forgetting to edit in the theme song in the previous episode! It won't happen again? It won't happen again!

She then talks about being a third wheel, her upcoming dogsitting stint that she's really looking forward to, being the only one in a big family without a partner, a story about the last time she rode on a horse, livin' a "Lumpy Life", a short update on "Porn Guy", funny things to do during sex and how difficult it is to do serious sex talk, a great card idea she has for card battling games, and some parting thoughts on A.I. art.

See you next week, baby! <3

What a week Val (AKA Algis) has had! She spends most of this episode dissecting and discussing her experience with going viral on Instagram for a silly dance: the influx of hate and pettiness, the addictive feelings of watching the numbers and tracking the likes, the lack of thought that went into the video in the first place, the universality and relatability of the clip, and much much more. She really does a deep dive on what it's like to go viral for the first time, in case you happen to be curious. Come celebrate with her! ...With humility and modesty, of course.

Oh, right - and she concludes on an update into the "Porn Guy" situation.

Welcome back! AGAIN! And again and again and again welcome back, because Val can't seem to nail down a regular weekly schedule! BUT she packs another episode with quality (with an extra 15 minutes of oomphy quantity!), covering such topics as: remembering the word for "gingham" and her family's inside jokes involving the word "Tannenbaum"; Arnold Schwarzenegger soundboard prank phone calls; profound thoughts on how our brains are like computers, and how memory might work; the zen advice she tends to give newer comics; her practice of the "not for me" mantra; another story about an auditory memory that makes Val laugh; an observation of the things people do to project that they're not dumb; and she ends on a story about her latest escapades involving a man she will henceforth refer to as "PORN GUY".

What a special one this one is! Algis comes hot out of the gate, Ellen-style singing and dancing in the snow! She goes on a tangent about song lyrics that only make sense to the writer. Then after burning her tongue on her tea she gets distracted from her point about earworms and instead explores the most American thing she could think of; goes into a lengthy philosophical dissection of the absurdity of regret (very brainy! Wow! SO brain!); applies that perspective on regret to her own transition, and comments on Transgender Awareness Week; her inability to relate to people; and then she wraps it all up with some great callbacks and funny likkle thoughts :)

This is an especially good episode if you're looking for spontaneous sillies, personal reflections, and a nice, chewy philosophical exploration!