Rambling about personal shit for the first 15 minutes before getting to the actual podcast about what I downloaded for. Laughing at inside jokes that aren't funny.
Rambling about personal shit for the first 15 minutes before getting to the actual podcast about what I downloaded for. Laughing at inside jokes that aren't funny.
Seconded. Unless it’s a general life podcast (like the lunch ones), I don’t care what the hosts did on the weekend. I have bailed on tons of podcasts because I tuned in to listen to some specific topic but it’s ten minutes in and the hosts are still telling some story about something that happened to them the day before.
I also hate eating noises and that sound people’s mouths make when they’ve been smoking dope but haven’t drunk enough water.
For me, it really comes down to whether you are interesting and/or likable and is your sound quality good. I'll forgive most anything if you can check those two boxes (but particularly the "likable" test covers a whole lot of ground). Therefore, to answer the question, poor sound quality (and I get a little snooty about that, unfortunately) and boring or unlikable hosts.
When people butt in trying to be funny but they’re not that funny and they disrupt the flow of the narrative. I’ve recently listened to the entire back catalogue of Behind The Bastards, and although I love the concept, and the host is very knowledgeable and has a really smooth voice that’s nice to listen to, the quality of each episode very much depends on who his guest host is. There were some where I was really interested in the topic but I had to turn it off because I couldn’t stand the constant butting in and stupid, off topic jokes from the guest.
1. Overtalking, like what is done on Giant Bomb lots of the time, drives me up the wall 2. A disorganized podcast. Some do a great job with organizing their time. Specifically, David Chen of the Evil Chen Empire actually does a pretty fantastic job of keeping his podcasts, like SlashFilm on topic and not letting it derail. 3. People saying just generally awkward things that could be offensive to listeners. I am probably just too sensitive, but I am always worried about how listeners feel when some topics come up.
1. Overtalking, like what is done on Giant Bomb lots of the time, drives me up the wall 2. A disorganized podcast. Some do a great job with organizing their time. Specifically, David Chen of the Evil Chen Empire actually does a pretty fantastic job of keeping his podcasts, like SlashFilm on topic and not letting it derail. 3. People saying just generally awkward things that could be offensive to listeners. I am probably just too sensitive, but I am always worried about how listeners feel when some topics come up.
#3 reminds me of a gripe that I developed with Colin Cowherd. Granted he was a talk radio guy, but same difference. He used to take shots at portions of his audience, and admittedly sometimes it would be funny, but the more he did it the more I got squirmy about it. This kind of falls under the big "unlikable" blanket, but that is a good specific. It's funny, Dave Dameshek once said that Cowherd's audience suffered from a sort of Stockholm Syndrome. After being a few months removed from listening to him regularly I have to admit that it's not only a great dig, but he's also not wrong.
When someone is calling in over a phone, or just in general when the audio quality/volume changes depending on who's talking.
Reacting to something someone is saying before they finish saying it. This happens on Giant Bomb all the time when they first mention what game they're going to talk about and then they never say the name of the game again.
host: "I played Re-"
other host:"OHHH I played that too"
other other host: "yea that game looked cool when I saw it at E3"
original host: "yea, it looked great in the preview cycle..."
and then it's just "this game" the rest of the conversation. I'm assuming the rest of them in the room could either hear it or saw the way their mouth moved or whatever but this drives me nuts. It's not just GB, this happens all the time on podcasts with multiple hosts when they first bring up any kind of character or show or whatever.
Lately they've been bringing that up on GB that people have complained that they weren't mentioning the name of the game enough. But they do it in a way like listeners were being unreasonable in that request. I just think its the baseline for good podcasting.
Lately they've been bringing that up on GB that people have complained that they weren't mentioning the name of the game enough. But they do it in a way like listeners were being unreasonable in that request. I just think its the baseline for good podcasting.
Yea, they over corrected on the Beastcast to make it kind of a running joke but honestly it does help me a lot of the time.
and that sound people’s mouths make when they’ve been smoking dope but haven’t drunk enough water.
I'm so sorry.
oh silly Australian autocorrect! i'm pretty sure @Dee meant 'and that sound people’s mouths make when they’ve been drinking too much Coke Zero but haven’t drunk enough water..'
poor sound quality (and I get a little snooty about that, unfortunately)
Dude yes. Interviewing guests on Skype or a cell phone with hi gain / hi treble is my vocal fry. And the levels are off so you have to turn it up to amplify the shit and hear both people. The worst.
Here's one that irks me; when people get way too drunk and/or high on a podcast. Harmontown sometimes threads that needle, but there's been a show or two where it gets in the way. Kevin Smith has gotten so stoned in some of his podcasts that he's a mess. I think we've had a podcast or three like that, and it's not the best look.
All of the above, especially production quality unevenness, as in one person in studio and another calling in at very different volume/quality. And just general unwillingness to give the audience quality product. (Respect your public face for Pete's sake!)
And when people swallow their words. I'm not in the room with you, this is a vocal production, please speak clearly and at a consistent pace! I would love to just enjoy Joanna Robinson but god does she gobble words and speak like she's running a treadmill program.
Here's one that irks me; when people get way too drunk and/or high on a podcast. Harmontown sometimes threads that needle, but there's been a show or two where it gets in the way. Kevin Smith has gotten so stoned in some of his podcasts that he's a mess. I think we've had a podcast or three like that, and it's not the best look.
Anna Farris on How Did This Get Made. Way to ruin a discussion about Grease 2, Anna.
Host: Hey guest! So excited to have you on the show. How are you DOING!? Guest: thanks, I'm really happy to be here. I'm doing pretty good, how're you? Host: I'm doing pretty good too! Excellent, in fact. Just wanna say again how big of a fan we are all here and...
Jesus, you could have had this entire exchange offline and nobody would have given a shit.
Podcasts are so dependent on tone, way more than content (for me.). I hate when it’s just a big group (4 or more) of people shouting at each other. And there’s something about live podcasts that always turns me off. I’m sure they’re fun to be at, but I immediately delete any live podcast. And the “Radiotopia” style of overproduction really grates on me.
Podcasts are so dependent on tone, way more than content (for me.). I hate when it’s just a big group (4 or more) of people shouting at each other. And there’s something about live podcasts that always turns me off. I’m sure they’re fun to be at, but I immediately delete any live podcast. And the “Radiotopia” style of overproduction really grates on me.
Too many inside jokes can be really annoying. One of my absolute favorite podcasts is All Fantasy Everything. It is hard to recommend to people sometimes because the top can be a half hour or more of just bullshitting before the get to the draft. Now, don't get me wrong, I am here for it. I've been in there since day one and the hosts are hilarious but when you tell someone about an amazing podcast but have to say, well, skip past the stuff at the front, they probably aren't going to take that recommendation as seriously.
@bizmarkiefader I love the Beastcast but I often think the theme of that show is beating a dead horse. They will run a joke into the ground harder than anyone I've ever heard before. Especially the Bakalar jokes.
Questions longer than an original-length tweet. Ask the question, let the person answer at length, then maybe ask short follow up questions.
"Right, right, right"
"For me..."
Podcasts with two equally interesting hosts but one person dominates the "conversation". If the conversation goes over 60% one person, edit out some of that person.
I never realized I was sensitive to this, but in the Leftovers days I was listening to a podcast when one of the hosts let out the biggest, loudest yawn. It was such an obvious sign of boredom. They didn't seem to be that much into the show in the first place, but they didn't even edit it out. It made me mad. This isn't high school homework, you don't have to slog through something you don't enjoy. I was so bothered by it that I immediately had to stop, unsubscribe, delete the feed from my app. I was so upset my brain actually blocked the podcast team's name from my memory and to this day I can't recall who it was lol.
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I also hate eating noises and that sound people’s mouths make when they’ve been smoking dope but haven’t drunk enough water.
Also, this.
2. A disorganized podcast. Some do a great job with organizing their time. Specifically, David Chen of the Evil Chen Empire actually does a pretty fantastic job of keeping his podcasts, like SlashFilm on topic and not letting it derail.
3. People saying just generally awkward things that could be offensive to listeners. I am probably just too sensitive, but I am always worried about how listeners feel when some topics come up.
And when people swallow their words. I'm not in the room with you, this is a vocal production, please speak clearly and at a consistent pace! I would love to just enjoy Joanna Robinson but god does she gobble words and speak like she's running a treadmill program.
Guest: thanks, I'm really happy to be here. I'm doing pretty good, how're you?
Host: I'm doing pretty good too! Excellent, in fact. Just wanna say again how big of a fan we are all here and...
Jesus, you could have had this entire exchange offline and nobody would have given a shit.
And there’s something about live podcasts that always turns me off. I’m sure they’re fun to be at, but I immediately delete any live podcast.
And the “Radiotopia” style of overproduction really grates on me.
@bizmarkiefader I love the Beastcast but I often think the theme of that show is beating a dead horse. They will run a joke into the ground harder than anyone I've ever heard before. Especially the Bakalar jokes.
We are so inundated by politics. I like this as a break.