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I'm Against Podcasts

washingtonpost.com

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Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#261

Post by tmaly »

nickelcitymario wrote: post #96

This article is fantastic, because it lays out exactly why I love podcasts. Podcasts are to audio what punk rock was to music: freedom to be an amateur. Was punk for everyone? Nope. Were punks particularly talented? Some were, but mostly nope. Yet punk became one of the most influential genres of music of all time because it gave you permission to suck. It's like what's been said about the Velvet Underground: They ne…

For me, it beats having to listen to top 40 music interlaced with commercials. Yes, podcasts have their own commercials, but you can always forward past them.

There is some really interesting stuff out there, and podcasts are just another great learning format for people.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#262

Post by kbenson »

Veen wrote: post #259
coldtea wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think you're oversimplifying the trade of journalism and massively underselling the value and importance of it That's because I have about 15+ years experience with it (until relatively recently) from various roles (and family in the business). > They have a trade, which is on a completely different plane and set of standards than a random blog. From a random blog, yes. From a good blog, no. And there was no real…

> And there was no real training required in being a journalist This is nonsense unless you think the only training of value happens in post-graduate degree programs. Journalists get a huge amount of on-the-job practical training.

The problem with on-the-job training is that the quality of it is highly dependent on the workplace and the coworkers around you and the job in question.

Just look at programming and software engineering. It takes very little to call yourself a programmer, and on-the-job training may or may not help at all.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#263

Post by matwood »

ianai wrote: post #75
bunderbunder wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, too, dislike the "eavesdropping on other people's tipsy pub conversation" genre of podcasts. I generally don't love the professionalized "least common denominator of an NPR listening audience's tastes, delivered in carefully rehearsed NPR voice" podcasts, either. My solution is to not bother with those podcasts. There are so many others that I find to be more worthy of my time. Admittedly, it's probably a small fr…

When do people take in their podcasts? I’m thinking it’s during he work commute or at work?

Car and gym. I need music, often sans lyrics, when working.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#264

Post by drngdds »

Calling podcasts Objectively Bad is very silly, but it's weird how people talk about them as though they're this original innovation of the 21st century (the most exciting and significant one, even!) when they are literally just pre-recorded radio shows.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#265

Post by mbrameld »

ianai wrote: post #75
bunderbunder wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, too, dislike the "eavesdropping on other people's tipsy pub conversation" genre of podcasts. I generally don't love the professionalized "least common denominator of an NPR listening audience's tastes, delivered in carefully rehearsed NPR voice" podcasts, either. My solution is to not bother with those podcasts. There are so many others that I find to be more worthy of my time. Admittedly, it's probably a small fr…

When do people take in their podcasts? I’m thinking it’s during he work commute or at work?

I listen to them while I run or do house work. I don't have a commute and if I listen to podcasts while I do knowledge work I either don't retain anything or my work suffers.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#266

Post by Allower »

coldtea wrote: post #163
jordanpg wrote: post #109

What an edgy, contrarian critique. Watch as the author translates his criticisms of some podcasts that he doesn't like into a global criticism of all podcasts. I wonder if this guy still insists on listening _exclusively_ to LPs and lossless audio formats. Here are some things about podcasts that I love: * some podcasts are true gems -- extremely high quality content * free * no ads or ads are trivial to avoid * blat…

> What an edgy, contrarian critique. Let's not use "edgy and contrarian" like Britain's working class use "pretentious". E.g. to criticize any attempt to divert from the norm and be more inquisitive. It's perfect fine to be "contrarian". If anything, we need more of those.

This post is NOT about being inquisitive, maybe you didn't bother to read it..

And being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian is a TERRIBLE idea. I'm all for thoughtful criticism, but simply disliking things for no intelligible reason is grounds for ridicule.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#267

Post by LargeWu »

Counterpoint: Podcasts can have an immediacy about them that the written word can't compete with.

I'm not talking about the long-form "Serial"-type or magazine "This American Life" style podcasts. Those are very scripted and rehearsed. Rather, I'm talking about a lot of the topical shows I listen to.

Having a few people with chemistry discussing their topic, where they can riff and improvise and be themselves, can be incredibly interesting in the way the written word can't.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#268

Post by magnamerc »

jetrink wrote: post #10

I think this whole piece is a pretty bizarre exercise. > I consider [podcasts] an enemy of music. [...] With all of the world’s unheard songs beckoning us with their endless mystery, why would anyone choose to waste their precious listening hours on a podcast? This isn't just comparing apples and oranges, it's arguing that apples are the enemy of oranges. "With so many delicious oranges uneaten, why should anyone was…

I think they are actually apples to apples when you consider that the apples are 'attention' and that we live in an attention economy where every piece of media is trying to maximize the time you spend with it. So what he's saying is that your attention is being wasted on shitty podcast, instead of trying to find good unheard music. I disagree with this, because I find that knowledge should get more attention than art/entertainment. But that's not to say that there aren't shitty time-wasting podcasts, but you can say the same about music.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#269

Post by sbuttgereit »

Pop music critic comes out against podcasts, in part because they aren't well produced.

Yet, what's really killing pop music, at least in part, is that so much of it, to my ears, is now an exercise in production techniques than it is about the music being produced. Ultimately, that "sounding right" is also simply an extension of fashion statement. True, that fashion in pop music has been more important than the actual music for a long time, but over the decades the music part of this has been diminishing in importance.

And frankly, it's pretty boring stuff out there these days mostly because of that emphasis on production values over the content. Everything is so homogeneous; yeah, old guy talking here, but I'm not exactly locked into a generation or genre in what I do choose to listen to, either...

I'm not a big podcast fan, either, though there are a couple I listen to if I have drive time. Still, much of that world, and some YouTube efforts, just seem so much more genuine to me.

Anyway, I think a pop music critic should likely be thinking about what's wrong with pop music that makes podcasts appealing by comparison rather than having sour grapes about a format that clearly is comparatively more desirable, regardless of what faults it may or may not have.

Re: I'm Against Podcasts

#270

Post by chaoticmass »

inapis wrote: post #207
jordanpg wrote: post #109

What an edgy, contrarian critique. Watch as the author translates his criticisms of some podcasts that he doesn't like into a global criticism of all podcasts. I wonder if this guy still insists on listening _exclusively_ to LPs and lossless audio formats. Here are some things about podcasts that I love: * some podcasts are true gems -- extremely high quality content * free * no ads or ads are trivial to avoid * blat…

Can you point me to some high quality podcasts? Most I have listened to have so much fluff and unnecessary banter that I subconsciously tune out. I have been trying to get on the podcast bandwagon but having a hard time finding something to like.

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