Doug Benson

Comedian Doug Benson, who specializes in marijuana-themed humor, comes to Portland's Helium Comedy Club for two appearances March 25-26.

(Robyn Von Swank)

Comedian Doug Benson has made a career out of smoking marijuana. But Benson, who comes to Portland's Helium Comedy Club for a special show and a taping of his podcast "Doug Loves Movies" this weekend, isn't an average stoner.

The veteran standup co-wrote and performed "The Marijuana-Logues" Off Broadway in 2004. The show, a parody of the Off-Broadway play "The Vagina Monologues," was adapted into a book and an album. In 2007, Benson created another acclaimed pot-themed parody, the documentary "Super High Me" (which parodies the fast-food documentary "Super Size Me") in which he abstained from smoking for a month and then smoked every day for a month, documenting the process and effects of being stoned or not stoned along the way.

His newest foray into the field of impaired entertainment is the series "The High Court" for Comedy Central. Over the course of 15-minute episodes, Judge Doug Benson gets high and hears court cases.

"I like the idea of being high and presiding over real small-claims cases." Benson said. "I show up and listen to the cases and try to make jokes along with a reasonable decision. I'm high the whole time, so that makes some crazy thoughts come into my head, and sometimes out of my mouth."

"The High Court" marks Benson's return to Comedy Central. In 2010, the network aired six episodes of "The Benson Interruption," a show in which Benson interrupted his comedian friends as they performed their regular standup routines.

Along with his television work and his popular YouTube show "Getting Doug with High," Benson hosts one of the longest running and most popular podcasts in a growing and diversifying section of the comedy landscape. "Doug Loves Movies" premiered in 2006. It was initially called "I Love Movies" but Benson changed the title to help build name recognition.

"Someone asked me if I wanted to do a podcast. I didn't even know what a podcast was, but I thought it would be fun to do one about movies," Benson said.

The show has grown from a weekly free show at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Hollywood to a traveling show Benson has taken to comedy clubs across the country. And just as Benson's show has exploded, so too have podcasts.

"The main difference between (2006) and now is that there are a lot more podcasts and it's tougher to stand out," Benson said. "But I like that anyone can take a crack at podcasting, much like stand-up comedy."

"Doug Loves Movies" is built around celebrity guests and movie trivia games. Because it's live and taped in front of a comedy club audience, there is always a chance things go sideways.

"Sometimes some really uncomfortable things happen on my podcasts," Benson said. "I like to put that stuff out there because it's interesting to listen to. Embarrassing for me sometimes, but people really eat up a good awkward moment."

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Doug Benson

When: "Doug Loves Movies" podcast taping, 4:20 p.m. Saturday, March 25; comedy show, 4:20 p.m. Sunday, March 26

Where: Helium Comedy Club, 1510 S.E. Ninth Ave.

Tickets: $20; ages 21 and older, portland-heliumcomedy-com or 888-643-8669