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comment by goobster
goobster  ·  2268 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Let's talk podcasts! What've you been listening to?

I don't listen to podcasts any more, I guess. The Apple app is poop. The Apple sound ecosystem - that decides to drop the audio for 5 seconds every time an alert comes in - is not conducive or supportive of listening along uninterrupted.

And if I hear one more person ramble on for 10 minutes about their personal life, and then say, "So, let's drop right in then, shall we?" I'm gonna shove so many earbuds up their ass they'll pop.

Loved listening to Mark Maron's "WTF", except I couldn't give a shit about his life, and got tired of trying to scrub forward 20 minutes to get to the damn interview, while trying to keep one eye on traffic and not crash into a school bus full of children.

Loved listening to "Things You Missed in History Class" but just kinda petered out on it.

Truly loved "In Our Time". The incredible range of topics, guests, and skill of Melvyn Bragg's technique for eliciting key quotes and ideas from his panel of guests, to move the story forward.

Used to listen to RadioLab, ReplyAll, More Perfect, and The Green Line... but I just can't hear another story about moronic political shit, or listen to another manufactured-emotions tear-jerker as a new broadcasting student tries all the knobs and dials on tear-jerker storytelling tropes, all in one episode.

Nowadays, i write really nasty, angry punk songs on guitar, and stream music on Spotify.





goobster  ·  2264 days ago  ·  link  ·  

#bugski for mk

This post of mine that I am commenting on, has several responses. The responses never showed up in my list, or lit up the Hubski wheel, so I never went back to the conversation to participate with the other commenters.

However, I have gotten notifications on replies to OTHER posts of mine, both before and after this one.

This indicates to me that there is something wrong with this specific post, or my comment on this specific post.

Just wanted to flag that for you. FYI.

Dala  ·  2265 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Radiolab really has gone downhill.

I still listen to Stuff you Missed in History Class. I don't know that it will ever leave my feed.

    And if I hear one more person ramble on for 10 minutes about their personal life, and then say, "So, let's drop right in then, shall we?" I'm gonna shove so many earbuds up their ass they'll pop.
HA! I know this feeling, but I don't think I own enough earbuds.
veen  ·  2266 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I thought it was just my tastes changing. I have the exact same thing as you, Bootz and Ben with Radiolab. They jumped the shark somewhere in 2015 and haven't recovered since. It's such a shame because Radiolab is what dragged me into podcasts in the first place with sincere, emotional stories. But now they over-produce it, over-simplify stories and every story needs to be some audiogasm.

I have the same problem with 99% Invisible. Used to be just Roman Mars talking about interesting niche designs, but now it's a full crew of producers and radiomakers so it passed Podcast-Eternal-September.

blackbootz  ·  2267 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Same as you and OB! My god. I dropped Radiolab after repeatedly, uncontrollably groaning out loud at some recent episodes, including their SCOTUS series. Just totally dumbed down, emotional, overwrought pap, with cheesy music to boot. What happened?

b_b  ·  2267 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I like RadioLab. I don't listen every week, but only when I happen to catch it in the car. What they're doing is just presenting some interesting, usually unknown topic, and giving the public a taste. I think that's admirable, but of course it's going to come with simplifications, hype, etc. I forgive them that (and of course sometimes they hit one out of the park, such as in their AUMF episode). That said, that Supreme Court thing they did made me embarrassed for them. I couldn't get through a single episode. Maybe it is for kids, and it's cool if you're trying to get kids to learn up of Marbury v. Madison; lord knows public school isn't going to teach you about how the courts work. But don't bill it as being for anything but kids.

blackbootz  ·  2267 days ago  ·  link  ·  

They have more than a fair share of home runs. That AUMF episode was excellent. So was their story on the photojournalist embedded with the medevac team in Afghanistan. Actually this list of 11 episodes is on point for me. But their recent stuff really turned me off, and with so many other good options I couldn't justify returning. As often happens with all my favorite series, I will probably rotate back after some time.

OftenBen  ·  2267 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    but I just can't hear another story about moronic political shit, or listen to another manufactured-emotions tear-jerker

I dropped radiolab from my regular rotation because of this.

Now I only listen if someone recommends me a specific episode.

weewooweewoo  ·  2268 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm the total opposite- what's the appeal of conversational podcasts? I hate hate hate them with a vengeance, they're longer, undirected, and feel lazy- a waste of the medium. They make me feel like I'm hanging out with two other people and they've locked me out of the conversation. The Hilarious World of Depression is my biggest offender of the medium, it feels like it's narrating over the discussion to insult my intelligence. This is probably just me.

veen  ·  2266 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The appeal for conversational podcasts, aka "Two Dudes Talking" genre, is that it's people you like discussing things you find interesting. Good conversational podcasts are like good hubski discussions, except in audio form. I prefer the more topical podcasts wherein the hosts discuss articles or news that I have(n't) heard about.

What so many conversation-y podcasts don't understand, is that a conversation is generally awful to listen back to. I have at times recorded interviews I did, and usually more than half of the time is uninteresting to listen to despite it being a good conversation from the perspective of those having it. So I only listen to some well-edited conversational podcasts. No crosstalking, no breathing, no reverb because the host did not put more effort in than "let's buy a Yeti", and for the love of god let people finish their thoughts instead of continually interrupting. Accidental Tech Podcast and Hello Internet are particularly well-edited IMO.