#Jack Lepiarz

[rinamantis]

I’ve recently watched all the Jacques Ze Whipper content available online..

[mxalexwhat]

Every now and then I'm reminded that NPR radio hosts are real people, but the wildest reminder has got to be when Jack Lepiarz from NPR's Here and Now quit radio to be a full-time circus performer known as Jacques ze Whipper.

All those silly videos of the ren faire guy with the silly painted mustache? Using a goddamn whip? That man also broadcast the War in Syria.

[mozart-1053]

[damnedchances]

[rndyounghowze]

What You Might Not Know About…

Jacques Ze Whipper

Jack Lepiarz or “Jaques Ze Whipper” or “Jack the Whipper” has been whipping it good for about fourteen years now. You may know him from his appearance on America’s Got Talent when he whipped a piece of straw from between Simon Cowell’s legs. You may also know him from his viral short videos where he sings parodies to songs like “All the Single Ladies” or the Animaniacs “Yakko’s World” song all while cracking the whip to keep time. However, there are some things about Jaques that you might not know about. We got to chat with him for a short while to bring you some trivia like…

Jack Comes From a Circus Family

“I grew up in the circus. We were with the Big Apple Circus until I was about 6 years old and then we did a bunch of Renaissance Faires when I was a kid. I have a weird parentage. My father is a circus performer (His father John Lepiarz currently “Mr. Fish” with the Super Scientific Circus) . My mother, now retired, was a college professor of anthropology with a doctorate in anthropology. She was very big on me getting a normal education so I kinda split time between normal school and the circus growing up.”

Jack Started On The Streets Of Boston

 “I went to Emerson College. I’m like ‘I have all these circus skills, why don’t I just try to do some street performing and see how that goes?’ It went as well as you would expect for someone who’s not very polished to go, which is that it went alright, there was nothing catastrophic, but it wasn’t great work. But it helped me kind of polish the act. Then I was like ‘well alright now I have this slightly more polished act let me do Renaissance Faires’ so I started working at King Richard’s Faire when I was twenty. 

Father’s Advice 

“My father, who had done the Renaissance Faire circuit for years, said ‘well what makes a good, successful Ren Faire act is the character and the comedy. You don’t have to be the most talented circus performer as long as you can make people laugh and keep them engaged and a character is a great way to do that.’ One of the things that we wanted to do is to make the whips less threatening. We kind of played around with the idea of being a goofy character and that didn’t quite translate. We decided to try being the French character because, you know, everyone at the Ren Faire is English, Irish,  Scottish. There aren’t a lot of French characters at the Renaissance Faire. We tried that for a couple of days and it went alright. Then the last day of my first weekend I drew on the mustache and it was like everything clicked. People understood this show is dumb and that it’s okay to laugh.”

Jaques Fans Are Why He’s On Tik Tok 

“[In 2021] a couple of longtime fans of mine came to my show, recorded bits of the show, put up 30-40 second clips of the show on Tik Tok and the first one got like three hundred thousand views, the second one got two million views and the third one got two point two million views. I was like ‘oh okay apparently there is a demand for Jaques Ze Whipper in the world that I had never known’. So I started on Tik Tok and from there it’s kinda been like, as I find I have the brain space to expand I expand to a new social media and so from there I went to Instagram and from there I went to Facebook and then Youtube.”

Digital Show 

“As my following has grown on social media there are these people who are like ‘come to the UK, come to Germany, come to Indonesia’. There’s no way for me right now to easily get to those places and even if I could get to those places the amount it would cost for me to get there would be prohibitive for a lot of people. So I said ‘why don’t I do this show where we can kinda do the best of my show and the secret show that I do with Ses Carny and by making it a digital show what we could do is get people from all over the world and that helps us keep the price point pretty low’. Ten bucks is still too expensive for some people that I’ve talked to but I think that it’s reachable for most people who are fans of mine. You could get four people to all pitch in $2.50 and just share one ticket. That’s fine. 

My plan is to do a show like this every year around this time for as long as WBUR will have me. We did a walk through in the theatre this week and they said they’re fully on board for another show next year and the year beyond that so I think my plan is: once a year do a digital show like this and assuming the interest is still there bring in other performers and kind of make it ‘Jacque’s Circus Hour’ and use it as a way to profile some of my wonderful colleagues who I think are just as if not more talented than me who just for some reason or another haven’t gone viral yet”.

The Physical Toll 

“A lot of people don’t understand quite how physical the show is and the amount of work that goes into making sure that my body is able to hold up under the stress of the show. The last couple of years I have been semi injured while performing and it’s been amazing how something as little as [spraining] my wrist in August of 2021 and the entire ‘21 season…there were certain tricks that I could not do without a lot of pain. Then this past season I tweaked something in my right shoulder just before the season started or early in the season and it never felt quite right until I had a chance to just rest it for a few weeks. (You can see this video where he sings a “Sound Of Silence” parody while remarking that his Physical Therapist would be mad because he wasn't cleared to whip with his right hand yet.)  I think that’s the biggest thing. The show is an athletic performance even as I’m just up there just cracking whips and singing songs. It is a workout.”

Get your tickets now! Virtual Ticket sales end at 5pm Eastern on Friday Jan. 27

[gmmcast]

GMMCast's Christmas Special!

This Christmas, Green Mountain Mysteries has some fantastic gifts for you, our wonderful listeners! This year, we bring you the sequel to our original Christmas special, featuring the return of Darius as the Krampus, more of your favorite holiday tunes, and an extra special guest player: NPR's Jack Lepiarz - aka Guinness World Record holder, America's Got Talent contestant, and viral TikTok star Jacques Ze Whipper!

It's the middle of the summer in the woods of New England, and the gang are attending a Rennaissance Faire. While Albion and Ro take in the shops and the shows, Des is stuck working a booth with almost no foot traffic... that is, until an oversized, over-dressed, and very hairy fellow walks in. Strange events start to engulf the faire, and with a narcotic whimsy consuming everything it touches, the gang are caught up in a battle for the heart of a holiday that's half a year away. And you know what that means: this time, it's Krampus... in... JULY! With special guest Megan Murphy as Abigail Graves. Check it out!

[wifeofthebestbois]

F/O List

The F/O list! Updated!

Here is my list of fictional others… I will try to remember to keep it updated!

Updated as of 9/10/19 !

I’ve also tried to somewhat organize it by my current level of infatuation (Though this can even flip flop from day to day lol)

SUPER DUPER FAVES OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

-Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)

-Connor (Detroit: Become Human)

-707/Saeyoung Choi (Mystic Messenger)

-Castiel and Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural) ** this ones a polyship! One big happy group!  [the brothers share me and Cas but dont get freaky with one another in my thingy] ** 

YAAAAAAAAAAAS!!

 -Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)

-Yoosung Kim (Mystic Messenger) **As polyship with Seven mostly**

-Jalen Princeton (An OC of mine… Guardian Angel)

-Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler)

-Jack Lepiarz (An OC of mine that I’ve had forever and was at one point high key based on a crush I had irl. Over time, despite heavy base influence, hes kinda grown to become a character of his own and I adore him so...? Basically just...*Disclaimer* That I’m not being all creepy about my crush from when I was 16 still mmkay? ) 

-Cayde-6 (Destiny 1&2)

-Nighta (Another OC.. half-imp selective mute boy)

- -BTS... like literally the whole-ass group. All of them. (but an fictional AU version of real life group) **Is a big ol polyship~** I blame that mobile game they have for ruining me <3

-Gackt Camui (An AU version of my favorite real life singer/actor)

-Lucifer (Lucifer on Fox/Netflix)

I still love you even though I’m hyper-fixating on other things rn!

-Klaus (Story of Seasons)

-Sidon (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

-Wrench (Watchdogs 2)

-Thor (Marvel)

-Loki (Marvel)

**Thor and Loki are sometimes a polyship too~**

-Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

-The other 3 Chocobros of FFXV as a polyship with Me and Prompto. Occasional fun AU but usually its just me and Prom~

Non-Romantic/ Familial! 

-Peter Parker/Spiderman (Marvel) (Tom Holland version)  [Aka Spiderbaby! lol Like a brother/son!]

-Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler) [Like a little brother]

-Hank Anderson (Detroit: Become Human) [Like a uncle/father]

[williamchasterson]

NPR News: Crowds In Boston Protest Immigration Ban

NPR News: Crowds In Boston Protest Immigration Ban

Crowds In Boston Protest Immigration Ban Demonstrations have been organized nationwide to protest President Trump’s executive action. NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to WBUR’s Jack Lepiarz from the demonstration on Boston’s Copley Square.

Read more on NPR

[rndyounghowze]

NJ RenFaire 2024

NJ-8

Double Edged Daredevils

Ses Carny and Crimson Locksley

We’ve seen Ses Carny eat and breathe fire. We’ve seen him hammer a nail into his head. We’ve heard the story of him putting fishhooks in his eyes. (Both those acts have been retired) What more can you say about a guy who can do all of that over and over and keep us coming back for more? The one person we forget to talk about is the person who has the power to change the fundamental DNA of his act. If there is one thing that’s painfully normal about Ses it’s how passionately and unashamedly in love he is with his wife Crimson Locksley. The Daredevils would not be the same without her. So we want to tell you about the artistry it takes to be the human down range of the knives.

A Confidence And Poise We Do Not Possess

Crimson owns the space like she was born there. It’s almost like those are her knives and she allows Ses to use them. She makes the Magic happen with her consent. If she didn’t consent to all this the act would go from side show to jail cell in a heartbeat. She exudes a confidence and poise that we do not possess. And she steps out and bows at the end of each trick like she’s Van Halen after a killer solo. As Ses himself will say he is not a role model. Crimson is the ultimate example of female empowerment and body autonomy. It takes both of them to make this trick work.

NJ-9

Lords Of Adventure

When you first look at these two self-identified identical sword-fighting twins you think “Their mama’s got some explaining to do”. The second thing you notice is that they are wicked funny. They have this manic energy of ten-year-olds that ate all of the sweets at the Faire and chased them down with a gallon of cream soda. Yet they have this wonderful way of converting the “token” stage combat show at the Ren Faire into something that’s laughingly disarming.

A Rollicking Good Time

Framing this show as a friendly duel between two brothers takes away the “hokiness” of stage combat” and turns it into a rollicking good time. Anyone who’s had an Xmas Day sword fight with wrapping paper tubes knows the kind of energy I mean. We all know brothers exactly like this, we all have cousins like this in our family. We all know someone who would get a bit too excited if you handed them a long sword.

Chaotic Doesn’t Translate Into Recklessness

Yet that energy doesn’t translate into recklessness. In fact the whole act felt very safe. You didn’t feel like a sword would come sailing at your head at any moment. Nice and Smooth might have an energy like kids but they have an adult’s awareness of their surroundings and the training to know what’s safe and what’s not. We walked by their stage during the afternoon when it was raining and they were doing a completely different act without swords. They know when to play and know when to put the swords away.

Nick Nice and Randy Smooth

NJ-10

Jacques Ze Whipper

Jack Lepiarz

One of the biggest things we’ve noticed about Jacques is that he is a stand-up comedian holding a whip. Yes, he’s trained and highly skilled but his humor is almost as fast as his whip. The other thing he does is he make himself the straight man in this comic duo of him and the audience. Half the fun is watching the audience catcall and shout from the stands and seeing Jack blush or zing them with a huge comeback. We also noticed that the acts became more Jack-centric and less “Jacques”.

Less Jacques More Jack

Less of the act explains who Jacques is and what whips are. He doesn’t have to introduce people into his little world. TikTok has already done that. So now it’s more showing the audience tricks that exhibit more skill (we think) and less gimmick. Also, there is less French accent. We feel like what we’re seeing now is more well-rounded. It’s more focused and grounded on a personal level. That grounded feeling is not what we’re used to seeing in a circus arts act. Jack’s act has something most solo artists can learn in building a grounded authentic performance.

NJ-11

Connor O’ Carraig

A Leprechaun that does magic tricks. That’s really what Connor O’Carraig is. He walks onstage and starts cracking jokes. He tells the audience he’s going to do three tricks and that will be it. If you’ve seen only five sleight of hand magicians in your life you’ve seen each of these tricks at least twice. Yet Connor goes on to demonstrate the magician’s true artistry, patter, and makes the tricks look brand new again.

Distinct Entrancing Style

You can Google linking rings, coin magic, and rope tricks and find out how these tricks are done. You know that and Connor knows that. The artistry is not in doing the magic moves but in using “patter” (jokes and words) to give us a plot that wraps around the trick. The plot hooks the audience in and brings us over to the magician’s side. We’re not just staring at a coin trick we’re listening to a story or laughing at some really good jokes. Now we don’t even care that we’re watching magic tricks. We’ve actually forgotten that we’re watching tricks. We’re watching a performance, we’re buying into Connor’s character, we’re enjoying ourselves. It’s proof that it’s not the magic trick or the secret moves. It’s the distinct entrancing style of the performer.

NJ-12

Shelli Buttons

When we first met Shelli Buttons it was pouring rain in 2023 and she had to cancel her show. But there she was in a mermaid tail and sliding around in the mud with her duck Winston following her everywhere she went. We knew we had to catch her act this year to see what the heck she was about. This year it was still raining but Shelli was ready to go with two students Jules and Gwen. Winston was there too having a love affair with Gwen’s boot. It was here that we were truly initiated into the chaotic mashup of fire, flair and feathers that is Shelli Buttons.

A Serious Chaotic Energy

You watch Shelli for five seconds and you will get a serious chaotic energy. She asks the audience what tricks they’d like to see, she has to scold the duck for attacking Gwen’s shoes, and even has to borrow a lighter from the audience to light her torches. Yet then she starts juggling torches and knives and walking on wine bottles and you’re like “oh now I get it”. If you’re this heckin talented you get to be a chaos demon. If you juggle three swords while standing on wine bottles in the rain you get to dance like an idiot at the end. What else would you do?

Where Shelli doesn’t mess around is with her students. Jules and Gwen are both young aerialists so you expect some awkwardness in transitions and some lack of grace in spins. But both of these artists were solid and steady in the routines and held their poses with confidence. Shelli’s chaotic energy vanished when she was spotting both of them and making sure they landed safely. When her students were on the Lyra she was all business. That’s what you want to see in an aerial instructor.

NJ-13

Bardy Pardy

Hannah Ward, Stephanie Krause, Chelsea Carlson

When you walk into a Ren Faire there are a handful of songs you just have to hear or it didn’t happen (Rosemary and Thyme is the Faire Free Bird). You have to see something played on a traditional instrument. You expect these things. Yet what you don’t expect is to hear a trio of femme voices singing right harmonies and beautiful songs. You also don’t expect to hear all this while shoving pizza into your face. This is how we met Bardy Pardy.

Not Your Normal Ren Faire Trio

Bardy Pardy just isn’t your normal Ren Faire Trio. From creating funny and engaging characters to singing lilting melodies they were a wonderful and entertaining act. It’s hard to make people care about your art while they are slamming food down. Most of the time as a musician you are just there to create the “ambiance” of the Great Hall. Yet Bardy Pardy had folx singing along and clapping the beat with them. They were also supported by a nice corps of fans. It was nice to see a group that built a community at the Repaste stage.

[wifeofthebestbois]

F/O List

The F/O list! Updated!

Here is my list of fictional others… I will try to remember to keep it updated!

Updated as of 9/10/19 !

I’ve also tried to somewhat organize it by my current level of infatuation (Though this can even flip flop from day to day lol)

SUPER DUPER FAVES OMG!!!!!!!!!!!

-Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)

-Connor (Detroit: Become Human)

-707/Saeyoung Choi (Mystic Messenger)

-Castiel and Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural) ** this ones a polyship! One big happy group!  [the brothers share me and Cas but dont get freaky with one another in my thingy] **

YAAAAAAAAAAAS!!

-Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)

-Guzma (Pokemon Sun/Moon) 

-Yoosung Kim (Mystic Messenger) **As polyship with Seven mostly**

-Jalen Princeton (An OC of mine… Guardian Angel)

-Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler)

-Jack Lepiarz (An OC of mine that I’ve had forever and was at one point high key based on a crush I had irl. Over time, despite heavy base influence, hes kinda grown to become a character of his own and I adore him so…? Basically just…*Disclaimer* That I’m not being all creepy about my crush from when I was 16 still mmkay? )

-Cayde-6 (Destiny 1&2)

-Nighta (Another OC.. half-imp selective mute boy)

- -BTS… like literally the whole-ass group. All of them. (but an fictional AU version of real life group) **Is a big ol polyship~** I blame that mobile game they have for ruining me <3

-Gackt Camui (An AU version of my favorite real life singer/actor)

-Lucifer (Lucifer on Fox/Netflix)

I still love you even though I’m hyper-fixating on other things rn!

-Klaus (Story of Seasons)

-Sidon (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

-Wrench (Watchdogs 2)

-Thor (Marvel)

-Loki (Marvel)

**Thor and Loki are sometimes a polyship too~**

-Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)

-The other 3 Chocobros of FFXV as a polyship with Me and Prompto. Occasional fun AU but usually its just me and Prom~

Non-Romantic/ Familial!

-Peter Parker/Spiderman (Marvel) (Tom Holland version)  [Aka Spiderbaby! lol Like a brother/son!]

-Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler) [Like a little brother]

-Hank Anderson (Detroit: Become Human) [Like a uncle/father]