Podcasting a wide net. (Part 1)
Ever-growing influence
While the podcast genre has been around in some form since the 1980s, it was only with the advent of iPods and the prevalence of programs like iTunes in the mid 2000s that the term "Podcast" became more commonplace. This adaptation of what is essentially "talk radio" was really popularised by the comedian Ricky Gervais, as he chopped up parts of his radio shows to make little half-hour chunks that were sold for 95p on iTunes. These podcasts formed the backbone of what later became "The Ricky Gervais Show", and even "An Idiot Abroad".
Even with the rising popularity of Podcasts, it took me a couple of years to get interested. The first podcast I can recall looking for and downloading is probably Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's "Smodcast" where the directer and producer of films such as "Clerks", "Mallrats" and "Dogma" get together and talk about stuff. The word "stuff" might sound vague, but that's what the show was. You never knew what they were going to talk about, although "sharks & nazis" became a common theme on the show eventually. This is largely due to a combination of Smith's fear of being eaten by a shark, and Godwin's Law.
From there, I fell in love with podcasts. In fact, from doing a little bit of research for this post, I have found and downloaded the first episodes I could find of 4 different podcasts! I currently have over 70 unheard episodes of podcasts on my iPod, which is something that drives my OCD crazy, but on the other hand, I just can't say no when the opportunity presents itself to be entertained by something for free.
That's right, most podcasts I listen to are 100% free. All you need is an ipod or you can even just listen to them from your computer or phone if you like. While many podcasts subsidise their costs with in-podcast adverts or the occasional Patreon voluntary donation service. It can take a bit of time to find a podcast you like, especially in areas where there's so much coverage that it can be hard to weed out the bad from the good.
Podcasts are great for nerds like me
For example, it won't come as a surprise to any of you that I love videogames and that I listen to gaming related podcasts to catch up on news about the industry, hear interviews and often just enjoy listening to other nerds clowning around. The problem is that because the games media are tech-savvy, they know the power of podcasts and it means that finding the good podcasts can be a real challenge. Of course, personal preference is king here, with factors such as "who do I already know I like?" and "how much time do I have to listen to an episode every week?" helping to form a decision. I really like the Giant Bombcast, but it tends to run over three hours, and that's a weekly show. I just don't have time to listen to that, even if it is funny. They also talk about wrestling way too much for me.
Three of my favourite members of the ever-rotating IGN UK Podcast Crew
Personally, I listen to the IGN network of podcasts, which offers numerous options, including weekly Playstation, Xbox & Nintendo podcasts, as well as some with wider scopes coming from their American, British and Australian teams. I love the UK podcast especially, as they cover more press events and movies than the other teams, but that may be my British sensibilities when it comes to humour and culture. They have also recently started running monthly podcasts called "Unfiltered" where IGN's Ryan McCafferey interviews the industry's most experienced and interesting developers. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to know how their games are made. If you like talking to your friends about games, give IGN a try. It might be your thing.
Because I only have so much time, I now limit myself to just the IGN podcast network for gaming news, and I find that between the multiple podcasts they host, I am pretty well covered. When it comes to comedy however, I have a broad range of tastes and that makes comedy my second-most listened to genre of show.
Some of the world's funniest people make podcasts
So I mentioned Ricky Gervais and Smodcast at the top of the article, and it's certainly true that these shows helped to popularise the platform that is now a source of entertainment for millions around the world. Comedians like Richard Herring, Greg Proops, Paul F Tompkins and Peacock & Gamble all have established podcasts, and as a fan of stand-up and comedy in general, I love the ability to listen to free, often improvised comedy on a weekly basis. For any of my friends who enjoy comedy at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and are wondering if they should see a comic live, give Richard Herring's Edinburgh Fringe shows a shot (if he's attending the fringe, I don't know if he is this year) as he tends to have the best comics on his show, where they do a small set and an interview.
There are a few podcasts that easily bridge the gap between nerdy and comedy, and I guess it makes sense that I'd be a fan of that kinda crossover.
The Nerdist
The Nerdist Podcast is presented by Chris Hardwick of "At Midnight" TV fame. He is something of a stalwart member of the nerd community, and despite his obvious business savvy, he never fails to be affable, enthusiastic and funny when speaking to his guests. While he's a good host, the real strength of the show is the list of people he gets on his show. It's AAA people like Patrick Stewart, Iain McKellan, Ben Kingsley, Guillelmo Del Toro, Bryan Cranston, Nathan Fillion and many many more. There's a good chance that if you are a fanboy/fangirl of any sci-fi or fantasy franchise, he's had them on the show at least once. He is also able to get people to open up in a way that's quite uncommon, especially when they're probably used to shows like Jimmy Fallon or Conan, where they're being watched by a huge crowd.
There are sometimes very profound and moving emotional moments, which showcases how good Hardwick is at not only handling the awkward parts with uncommon sensitivity, but also how he is able to steer the conversation back to something more light-hearted eventually. I am compelled to mention the recent episode where he interviewed one of my all-time favourite actors Gary Oldman, and he allows him a moment to work through his feelings as he talks about his friendship with the recently departed David Bowie.
We Have Concerns
The pairing of Jeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni is one made in podcast heaven. Before I even get into what the show is actually about, the real selling point is the chemistry between the two presenters. As someone who podcasts myself, I appreciate the seemingly effortless flow of the show, with both presenters jumping in and out of improvising comedic sketches.
Ok, now that my shameless fanboying is out of the way, I will describe the show beyond the already self-explanatory title. These guys are nerds, and that means they like to learn about the world around them and the latest scientific breakthroughs, but that also means dealing with their anxieties about what is potentially going to kill them or ruin their lives. The topics run the gamut from "what are private companies going to do with my DNA?" to "when are they going to replace factory workers with robotic scorpion men?" Yeah, you can probably tell that hyperbole is a language these guys speak, and while Anthony is prone to outbursts of rage and confusion, Jeff is often the counter point who tries to calm him down with his sometimes infuriatingly positive outlook on life. #teamdadjoke
The Comedy Button
Ok, so while you could conceivably pass off the last two entries as "highbrow comedy" for the most part, TCB is definitely not that. Described by its hosts as "poker night with the guys", the show is a completely ridiculous and hilarious insight into the chat of five best friends (sometimes with extra guests) as they discuss everything from sex, to monster truck rallies and all sorts of stuff in between. This show is responsible for many an uncomfortable snorting laughter fit on public transport, as I try to stifle myself. I was lucky enough to get on board with this podcast at the beginning, so I know the tropes and running jokes that run through the show; "Ryan rarely talks", "Brian doesn't know much about history", "Scott is a well-to-do white guy", "Max is composed mainly of anime and pop-culture references" and "Anthony is a smelly hippy". Fortunately, knowledge of these caricatures isn't required to enjoy the show, and it also benefits from not relying on modern trends to follow what's going on, in fact these guys spend a lot of their time talking about the 80s and 90s, so people born in the 80s will likely enjoy their (what's the opposite of "rose tinted"?) nostalgia.
Despite the scatalogical and sometimes downright offensive nature of their comedy, it's always well conceived and it's never malicious. Their level of self-awareness and ability to confront their own faults is especially endearing, and it's been great to join them for the ride as they followed the very interesting career paths that they've all been on. Three of the crew work in games media, and you can catch two of them on IGN's podcast Beyond, while Anthony works in game development as a designer and Scott works for Lucasfilm, sometimes giving cool insights into his job there. There have also been heartbreaks on the show, and recently Brian has been very open about the pain his family are going through as his mother deals with late-stage cancer. This is a show that has a lot of soul, it's just that it's often buried underneath jokes about masturbation, eating junk food and playing with 80s action figures.
Fist Shark Marketing
Possibly the "weirdest" comedy I listen to, Fistshark Marketing is an improvised comedy show, performed by a trio of games industry bloggers and journalists; Jim Sterling, Conrad Zimmerman and Jonathan (Paulson) Holmes. I started listening to these guys on the old Destructoid videogame podcast before it all sort of disintegrated. This show is absurd, strange and ultimately quite a challenge to get into, but once you know the tone of the show and are able to roll with the content, it's hilariously funny.
Jim and Conrad play the roles of senior marketing executives, while Paulson is their confused and somewhat naive fresh recruit. The format tends to lend itself to a "fly on the wall" recording of three ten-minute meetings as the team discuss the latest catastrophe that they have to deal with. This ranges from Gordon Ramsey being abandoned on a desert island with a bunch of dogs for a new reality TV show, to the potential PR nightmare of having their client "The Zodiac Killer" being confused for Ted Cruz. If you want a silly, fun time then give Fist Shark a go.
The Bugle
Fans of the HBO show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" will be familiar with Oliver's distinctive comedic sensibilities. "The Bugle" is a time capsule of classic British comedy, featuring John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman. Unfortunately, John Oliver's success has made him far too busy to record new episodes, making it next to impossible for the show to keep going. It still releases the occasional piece of content, but for the most part it is winding down.
If you like your political satire with a healthy dose of the absurd, you'll love Zaltzman's work and I'd recommend seeking him out if that's your sorta thing.
Smodcast
Smodcast is the first Podcast I think I ever listened to, and the first thing that struck me was how open and unflinchingly honest the content was. If there's one thing Smith can do, it's rambling. He's got a 25 year career of movie-making anecdotes to look back on, as well as discussing his childhood and reviewing the painfully funny journals of "emo-Kev", his teenage self. Mosier is much more stoic, but the balance between (especially post-weed) Smith and the more restrained Mosier is one that leads to a great show.
As I mentioned before, sharks and nazis used to form the backbone of the show, but in recent years, the pair have shown their affection for Mosier's "home and native land" of Canada. The last episode I listened to compared to careers of Corey Hart and Bryan Adams, with their typical level of tongue-in-cheek speculation that Corey Hart hates Bryan Adams for stealing his spotlight, while Adams is aggressively apathetic to him. A real highlight of the show is their segment called "Scan-BC" where the pair react to twitter posts from a police scanner in British Columbia, where the crimes are largely small-town scuffles and disagreements.
While Smith has expanded his "Smodco" network to include numerous different shows, which are of varying quality and interest to myself, Smodcast remains the only one I'll listen to consistently. The chemistry of these two old friends sitting next to each other and chatting away is something that still entertains. Besides his stories about making movies, Smith is sometimes a little bit too open about his married life. You'll find yourself knowing things about him that will make you wince, but I understand that while he'll never take his shirt off, he will gladly talk about other personal habits.
Honourable Mentions
Allie Goertz & Julia Prescott's "Everything's Coming Up Podcast"
Next time,
In part 2, I will tell you about some of my favourite podcasts that have really opened my eyes to the world around me, discussing human interest stories, technological advancements and some of history's lesser told tales. Some are even teaching me how to write. All that and more, next time!