Interview: "The Six Pack"'s Ben and Dave Are Like a Married Couple with No Sex

Ben Harvey and Dave Rubin

Ben Harvey and Dave Rubin have a new theme song, which is impressive, given that most of us don't even have an old theme song. It's for their podcast The Six Pack, an entertaining mix of talk and interviews that is currently the top-downloaded GLBT podcast on iTunes.

More importantly, they also have an increasing number of sponsors.

In other words, Ben (a radio DJ) and Dave (a stand-up comic) are moving up in the world! Their radio show, which started out as a filmed podcast called The Ben and Dave Show for the gay cable channel here! TV in 2008, is rapidly becoming self-sustaining.

What's the secret of their success? That's a question that might be better asked of their thousands of listeners from all around the world.

So instead we'll ask them silly stuff like whether or not they've ever dated.

AfterElton: What's the best part of having gone "indie"?
Ben: The main difference between working for a network and going “indie” is that when we’re not in the studio recording we get to work from home and do most of our meetings via Skype ... with no pants on!
Dave: The major "pro" of doing an independent internet radio show is we were able to create The Six Pack as something we would want to listen to. We wanted something that felt light and fun, but got into real issues and talked to the gay community, not at it. For some reason, even in 2011, 90% of what you see and hear about gays is still over the top stereotypes, and we wanted to challenge that, while actually being funny. As Homer Simpson said, "Marge, I like my beer cold, my TV loud and my homosexuals flaming."

We think there's a little bit of room for more than just that. It’s also great that we answer to nobody. We don't have execs telling us we’re too gay or not gay enough, and we have complete creative freedom.

AE: How many people listen to you at this point – and how do you pay the bills?
Dave: In the beginning, the show was a side project for us – I was still doing stand-up gigs and Ben does event production work. But two years into it, we’re realizing digital media is a great space to be in and is only getting bigger. By now the show has become a viable venture for us, and we’ve gotten a number of sponsors on board.
Ben: As far as listeners, we’ve had over 3 million minutes of audio streamed since launching, and our distribution outlets have increased to include not just iTunes and the web but also our iPhone, Droid, and iPad apps. We’ve outgrown two servers and just signed on with Liberated Syndication, which distributes Adam Carolla’s and Marc Maron’s podcasts – so we know they can handle the traffic. 

AE: Describe your chemistry together for people who haven't listened.
Ben: We’ve gotten a lot of funny comparisons – Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours, Oscar and Felix from the Odd Couple, or even “a mas macho version of Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell” – that’s what Entertainment Weekly called us.

But I think what makes the show work is that we’re actually more alike than we are different, and our rapport is more brotherly and fun-loving than it is combative or at odds with each other. I do always say, though, that we need to get some drums in the studio because Dave has a lot of “ba-dum-dum” punchlines.
Dave: It's hard to describe the chemistry, it's just there. On the outside we're very different in that Ben is really organized and uses punctuation in his emails. I'm more unorganized, although Ben has me using Google Calendar these days. We know how to push each other’s buttons, or let each other run with something. It's like a marriage, but with no sex. Oh, so actually that makes it just like a marriage.

AE: Proving Ben's point about the punchlines. So you guys obviously get along. Your listeners might want to know: did you ever consider dating? What are your current relationship statuses?
Dave: When we first met we were both in relationships. Then only I was in one, and now only Ben is in one.  So, I guess you can say the universe has a plot to keep us on air, and out of bed.

AE: How do you get your guests – and who would you love to have who's turned you down?
Ben: We've got an amazing show booker, David Janet. We’ve had a really eclectic mix of guests plus some big names [like Joy Behar, Barney Frank, Bethenny Frankel, Thomas Roberts, Andy Cohen, Steve-O, Paula Poundstone, and Ben Cohen]. We've also gotten a few guests through good old Twitter harassment, and some by means that are better left unsaid – that’s Dave’s territory.
Dave: The only person we've been turned down by is Betty White, but at least her people responded. Strangely, we've been flat out ignored by people who are supposedly huge with the gays, like Joan Rivers and Kathy Griffin. We've been trying to get Neil Patrick Harris for awhile, but I'll cut him some slack considering he has two kids. I have one dog and a Wii and sometimes it's hard to get stuff done.

Next Page! An orgy at the Sirius studios?