What is the Dabbleverse?

Imagine trying to explain to someone that you're podcasting in a niche interest space arguably revolving around a single, washed-up 1990s radio personality. Now imagine further trying to explain that a cottage industry revolving around that former celebrity not only exists, but is immensely popular and profitable within certain limited circles online. You would be describing "The Dabbleverse," a loose constellation of podcasts orbiting "Stuttering John" Melendez from the Howard Stern show.

Who is Stuttering John?

"Stuttering John" was a "stuntboy" sidekick who worked for radio giant Howard Stern from the late 80s to the early 2000s. In other words, he was famous thirty years ago, known best for the daring interviews he conducted in which he read rude questions to celebrities. Eventually he was hired to be the announcer for The Tonight Show under Jay Leno (in a spectacular display of "failing upward"). Subsequently kicked to the writer's room, John stuck it out during Leno's tenure with the show, eventually finding himself unemployed when Leno was no longer host.

In 2018, Melendez famously prank-called then-president Donald Trump. Perhaps because of the attention generated by this, he pivoted to left-wing political commentary. Several iterations of his political podcast followed (he worked with a couple of different producers or cohosts in that time)... and that's when an industry was born. Melendez' podcast caught the eye of the "Revenge of the CIS" podcast and then the attention of Karl Hamburger of "Who Are These Podcasts," the latter a show devoted to making fun of terrible podcasts. (Hamburger actually runs a small empire of his own making fun of social media posts, broadcasters, and Internet weirdness in general).

A Constellation of Podcasts is Born

"Stuttering John's" reaction to being "roasted" by these observers (particularly Karl from Who Are These Podcasts, who occupies a special place on John's enemies list) prompted a back-and-forth that proved extremely popular. Shuli Egar, a comedian and fellow former employee of Howard Stern, left the Stern show and started guesting on Who Are These Podcasts. As a former Stern employee and frequent target of Melendez' grievances, Egar was a natural to guest with Hamburger in commenting on "Stuttering John's" online activities. Egar would eventually start his own show devoted to this, "The Uncle Rico Show," so named for John's tendency to dwell in the past. (Uncle Rico is a movie character who famously lives in his glory days.)

As the podcasts grew in popularity, a community developed. More podcasts and YouTube channels began to join in. As tends to happen in communities of common interest, those entitites began commenting, not just on Stuttering John, but on each other. The community began to feed (and feed on) itself, generating a variety of colorful characters. Many of these characters use filters, puppets, or other means to set themselves apart. The community now features a bizarre gallery of individuals ranging from mere human commentators to muppets, floating fruits and vegetables, other comedians who are only peripherally related to the community (and sometimes targets of it), and the sometimes rancorous back-and-forth that is different podcasts or channels sniping at their rivals.

The Origin of the Term "The Dabblverse"

Stuttering John, meanwhile, is responsible for the name given to the community. In a famous interview with the incredibly popular Chrissie Mayr, he took great offense at being asked about "dabbling" in comedy. The Dabbleverse was born. Today, the term "The Dabbleverse" refers to that loosely knit community of podcasts, channels, and commentators who orbit Stuttering John, comment on him, comment on each other, and generally enjoy this very niche interest area in the weirdest of weird timelines.

"This Dabbleverse is not friendly!" is a quote attributed to Melendez. It is at once correct and incorrect. While many within the Dabbleverse or adjacent to it are brutal, even vicious pundits and trolls, many more are genuinely friendly and happy people. There are a LOT of personalities operating within the Dabbleverse or on its fringes, some more hostile to John (or to his commentators) than others. 

Pranks, bullying, harassment, attempts to get YouTube to "strike" or otherwise penalize or terminate rivals' channels, and fisking of rivals' videos are common. It's a dive bar on a Saturday night full of regulars who know each other and dislike half their number. Through it all, however, there is a common thread -- a shared affinity for the core of the community itself, which is making fun of Melendez' many foibles.

Why the Dabbleverse Persists

It is this -- Melendez' many foibles -- that is the key to the Dabbleverse. His many idiosyncrasies, the mistakes he makes, his outraged reactions to criticism, and even the technical problems his podcast has are surprisingly ample fodder for lampooning, criticism, and commentary. As long as "Stuttering John" is on the Internet making content (and reacting to others within the Dabbleverse), the podcasts orbiting him will continue to thrive. It's a running joke with only one punchline: "Stuttering John." For the time being, at least, the joke continues to be funny... and a great many people continue to be entertained by it.