Episode 7: Laugh Track of the Bens
Cue the theme song and awkward pauses — this week on A Case of the Bens, we dive headfirst into the world of sitcoms. We start by clearing up some important (and surprisingly necessary) confusion about “a case of the bends” versus A Case of the Bens, before squeezing in a quick and spirited review of Wicked 2.

In current eBents, we look at the reelection of Mohammed Ben Sulayem as president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, proving once again that Bens are steering things at the highest levels — sometimes literally. Our Has-Ben segment spotlights Ben Starr, a prolific writer behind many beloved sitcoms of the 80s and 90s, whose jokes helped define an era of television comedy.

Then the episode really hits its stride: Pipes delivers his very best (and most persistent) Jimmy Stewart impressions, Gap explains the pain of “corating”, and Doc leads the group through a hilariously tough round of Would You Rather? — including timeless sitcom dilemmas like whether you’d rather live in the Friends apartment or the Big Bang Theory apartment.

It’s fast-paced, funny, and filled with classic Ben banter — basically a sitcom episode, but with fewer canned laughs and more questionable impressions.