The Illusion of Authenticity in Podcasting

A podcast episode on the state of podcasting? Classic Culture Study Pod. At this point in my career, I’ve been interviewed on hundreds of podcasts, been adjacent to the production of dozens, been the host of three pods, and even watched a fourth pod go through two years of production only to get axed. The podcasting world is so dynamic, so weird, and so complicated… and industry analyst and critic Nicholas Quah is the best person to talk about its shifts, its future, and the best stuff coming out RIGHT NOW.

You asked so many good questions (about ads, about funding structures, about editing) that Nick and I did our best to answer — but I also can’t wait to hear your follow-ups, because this world is ever-changing.

Show Notes:

• Find all of Nick’s writing (on podcasts and non-podcasts) over at Vulture; I especially liked this recent piece on the devaluation of the “good interview”

• Nick’s piece on the Best New Podcasts of 2024 (thus far)

• Nick’s podcast recs:

  • Hysterical, about a mysterious illness spreading among a group of high school girls in upstate New York

  • The Town with Matthew Belloni, about the business of Hollywood

  • Nymphet Alumni, about fashion and cultural trends

We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

• WTF is going on with kids toys right now (you can take this in any direction)

• The future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generally

• The Present and Past of NICOLE KIDMAN (with Sam Sanders!)

• The new Gladiator + Paul Mescal JUST GENERALLY

• Why does it feel like thrifting sucks now

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment

• You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)

For today’s discussion: What podcasts are you listening to outside of your normal favs? How do YOU feel about podcast editing?