Sunday, September 2, 2012

Everybody and their Mother has a Podcast


By Talita Vinci

If you are unfamiliar, podcasts are nothing more than another online media tool accessible to the masses, except that they imitate a radio talk show formats, but without the scattered commercials, the formality, and the douche bags – all for your listening convenience.  Another selling point is, as you listen, you feel like you are sitting-in on an interesting casual conversation, or, in many cases, a self-examination session.

Now, the trick is you must find an interviewer whose personality you enjoy and judgment you trust so you can get the most out of the experience, regardless if you agree on the topic.

I am personally more inclined toward comedy podcasts, or at least the ones hosted by comedians. I find their way of thinking makes me comfortable, their interviewing style is less formal and it feels more relatable.

My friend told me, Everybody and their mother has a podcast.

That may be true (and maybe even a great name for one), but if you filter through all the podcasts available to you out there today, you might find a few interesting options that can definitely entertain you for hours and be worth your time and attention. Be sure to click the banner(s) if you want to check out the show being reviewed.

WHAT THE FUCK
Let’s take WTF with Marc Maron, for example. His introspective rage makes him a great interviewer.  Not to mention he is funny all the time. On the other hand, those same qualities can come with a world of egomaniac observations and repetitive monologues, which, if you are willing to look passed, can make for a worthy hour.

THE MONDAY MORNING PODCAST
Bill Burr, that angry redhead is such a crush of mine! I find in his podcast he has a way with rants, and he offers often blunt and humorous perspectives most of the time. Downside? His love of sports. He often gets deep into it, causing me (and the only other 2 females who listen) to lose focus. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a girl.

THE ADAM CAROLLA SHOW
Speaking of being a girl, let’s talk Adam Carolla. If you enjoy amazing sound quality and frustrated guests that rarely get a chance to speak, it’s a great podcast all around. I kid. The guy is a master of rants and most of the time very funny.

THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE
Moving along to Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), I have embraced my “groupieness “ at this point, and the JRE has held the title for my favorite for a few reasons. The show brings up several different subjects and guests, and there is a great balance between silly stupidity and in depth conversations about meaningful topics – both equally entertaining.

THE NAUGHTY SHOW
On the same “network” as the JRE, you can find The Naughty show podcast, which is really funny and where the main goal is to make us understand porn stars are people, like us, with boundaries and podcasts of their own, believe it or not. By the end of it, you find yourself a little less judgmental, a little hornier, and a little too fat – all in one hour!

SKEPTIC TANK
Another one that has recently captured my interest is Skeptic Tank, hosted by Ari Shaffir. He interviews surprisingly well, and all of the topics they touch on are either really interesting or moving, but always humorous.

THE TEN MINUTE PODCAST
If you are a Hollywood sucker and are into big names, try a taste of the 10 Minute Podcast, and you will experience 3 egos in a wrestleling match. Not really my thing.

I could name a few more, but podcasting is better when listened to by people interested in the subject.

There are great podcasts out there about music, politics, innovative thoughts and ideas (TED RADIO HOUR, if you enjoy TED talks), culinary, or whatever floats your curiosity boat.

I hope I offered a little insight. Whether you are into them or not, it is a thought-provoking pastime, where the worst case scenario would be self improvement or even change.  Guaranteed laughs are the cherry on top.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Talita Vinci is a Brazilian expat, living in the United States for just over a decade. She speaks three languages fluently (Portuguese, Spanish, and English), and her more recent formal education is in the culinary arts. Besides listening to podcasts, she is a voracious reader. She loves to explore ideas, no matter how controversial or unorthodox. My introduction to her came by way of music. She liked The Roots, and particularly their song, The Seed. It seemed like we were the only two people in our little circle who’d heard of The Seed. Well, that did it. We’ve been exchanging bands, ideas, podcasts, and horribly inappropriate jokes ever since. EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHER HAS A PODCAST is Talita’s first post for guttervox.   

1 comment:

  1. It's funny you mention this. This is actually the name of my new podcast for this very reason. Everybody Has A Podcast. everybodyhasapodcast.com

    ReplyDelete