There’s a show that I’ve loved for years now called Last Podcast on the Left, it’s been kind of a staple for me through good and bad times. Sadly, one of the co-hosts, Ben Kissel, was recently let go. He’s always had issues with alcohol and mental health, and it seems like it’s gotten the better of him as of late. His ex very recently spoke online about some awful treatment that occurred last year, and within days of this it was announced that Ben would be taking a break to work on his issues. Yesterday, it was revealed that Ben will no longer be a part of the show.
Honestly, this is heartbreaking to me from all directions. I don’t know the guy, but he’s been a part of my life in a way for nearly ten years now. A comfortable staple, him and the others make me laugh and help me feel comfortable with finding humour and levity in subjects that 99% of people meet with upmost seriousness. They make me feel more comfortable with my own sensibilities, less alone. So to “lose” one of them so abruptly is honestly just a little bit devastating. I don’t really follow any social media feeds, so while everyone else was keeping up with this in real time, this was my experience:
A few weeks ago: I hear it stated in the show that Ben will be taking a break to work on himself 
A week or so later: One of the episodes opens with a message, saying that fans of the show have been harassing his ex and his co-hosts would not stand for it. 
Precisely right fucking now: Ben will be leaving the show, and had behaved abusively towards his partner 
Apparently the stuff with his ex has been public for weeks now, I just don’t tend to follow any of this bullshit I just listen to the show. So it all just hit me very suddenly and it sucks. Speaking strictly as a fan, I loved Ben. I got to see him and the other guys, Marcus and Henry, perform live twice in Toronto over the years and I’ve always considered it a privilege. Having that be so firmly set in the past, never to be repeated the same again, it carries a kind of hollow sadness. But I guess that things happened the way they had to happen, he has issues and they’re worse than anyone really understood. It’s a shame, but the show must go on. I wish Ben the best of luck.
Pictured: he’s the big guy
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