Podcasts should not just be for our enjoyment

Allie Keim | The Chronicle

Are you interested in self help, celebrity culture, movies, mental health or personal finance? Well, there is a podcast for you. 

From the Joe Rogan Experience to The Mel Robbins Podcast to Call Her Daddy, the podcast industry offers all individuals a platform based on their interests. As the media market has changed, so has the landscape for podcasts. It seems as though every influencer, celebrity, professional or person who just loves to talk has launched a new podcast. But, do celebrity podcasts ruin the mystique of being an A-lister? And, as listeners, are we consuming too much information for our own good?

Personally, I have about four podcasts I frequent: Anything Goes, Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast, The Daily, and Pod Save America. This offers me a mix of comedy, politics and pop culture commentary. The podcasts that an individual religiously listens to say a lot about them as a person, including their political ideology, social issues and what provides them with entertainment.

Many agree, however, that the podcast market is oversaturated. It seems like once a week that a celebrity announces a new podcast. Even though such celebrity podcasts perform well, as a society, do we really care to hear celebrities’ opinions? 

With the rise of social media, the distinction between influencers and celebrities becomes less clear. Long ago, celebrity “A listers” were movie stars and globally known singers. They lived private lives, and the public made up visions in their heads about how these individuals led their lives. Now, we see such celebrities posting their vacations and expensive meals. The public does not care to see these people flaunt their money and attempt to influence them. To me, when a celebrity launches into the podcast business, it seems less genuine, like we are being sold a lifestyle very few will ever achieve.

While celebrities’ opinions can be completely valid, hearing them breaks the prior norm of secrecy and a nonchalant lifestyle. The imaginary life we would rather fantasize about than actually understand. 

On the other side of the spectrum, podcasts are widely used as promotional tools for famous people’s upcoming work. I find myself particularly attracted to such episodes because they can be a celebrity’s first sit down interview or a rare candid moment. But these limited episodes do often become clickbait, marketing only the more revealing parts of the episode. 

One example of this marketing tactic is Call Her Daddy. The show does an amazing job highlighting primarily women’s stories of trauma and giving advice to female listeners. But when it comes to clipping parts of the show for social media, it is the guest crying or revealing extremely personal recounts from their past. This is truly just a tool for getting people to listen to the podcast, but it has bigger implications on the industry as a whole. 

Whether it is interviewing someone who has an estranged relationship with their parents, is an alcoholic, or just got out of an abusive relationship, viewers are drawn to the deeper conversations because they provide a different side to a famous person’s curated image. But as listeners if we aren’t hearing the most intense of stories we aren’t satisfied. We expect all people to have lived through something terrible for them to be validated.

I also feel this same effect with comedy podcasts. I will put a podcast on just to fill a void in the air, but I am just infiltrating my brain with unnecessary information, I will not remember the next day. There is a place for a more comedic podcast, but am I abusing my power as a listener by not retaining any joke or comment the host has made? 

So how do we make sure all perspectives are validated, while also understanding who is best for us to listen to? Well, that starts with not overconsuming podcasts. Not every episode is worth your listen or mine. Just because you might like to follow a person on Instagram does not mean you have to listen to their 40 minute recap of a red carpet event. Being a selective listener helps us to navigate the wide market of the podcasting world. 

It is time to take a step back and reflect on what each episode you click play on can actually do for you.