Women Hosted Podcasts
March 1, 2013 9:08 AM Subscribe
My favourite woman-hosted podcast is Jackie Kashian's The Dork Forest. Right in MeFi's wheelhouse to the point that I'm surprised it hasn't been FPP'd yet.
posted by Space Coyote at 9:37 AM on March 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by Space Coyote at 9:37 AM on March 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
One of my favorite podcasts, Our Hen House, is hosted by a lesbian couple.
I can think of podcasts I listen to where there are hosts of both genders doing it together, but I cannot think of one offhand I listen to now where it's only male.
If anything, this FPP has given me new female-oriented podcasts to check out, so thanks for that!
posted by Kitteh at 9:38 AM on March 1, 2013
I can think of podcasts I listen to where there are hosts of both genders doing it together, but I cannot think of one offhand I listen to now where it's only male.
If anything, this FPP has given me new female-oriented podcasts to check out, so thanks for that!
posted by Kitteh at 9:38 AM on March 1, 2013
I'm obsessed with Julie Klausner's How Was Your Week podcast. You all should be too because it is hilarious and it rules.
posted by capnsue at 9:42 AM on March 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by capnsue at 9:42 AM on March 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
(Looking back at the article, that fact that point three is labeled "Ego/Entitlement" when everything in it is basically "socialization" sort of weirds me out. Is it really egotistical and entitled to want to host a podcast?)
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:43 AM on March 1, 2013
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:43 AM on March 1, 2013
The BBC's From Our Own Correspondent is hosted by a woman, and Brooke Gladstone cohosts NPR's On the Media. I guess those are radio shows but I listen to them as podcasts.
posted by Aizkolari at 9:48 AM on March 1, 2013
posted by Aizkolari at 9:48 AM on March 1, 2013
So, I tend to listen to podcasts on variously crappy audio systems (think cheap earbuds, directly out of my phone's speaker, etc). Which means that high-pitched, poorly modulated, overly loud voices sound painfully bad/annoying to me.
And if the host's voice annoys me, I stop listening to the podcast, no matter how much I might care about what they have to say.
There have been a couple male hosted podcasts that I've dropped because of this (mostly Beer Network stuff, but they have obnoxious ads too). But I feel bad that I just cannot listen to Denise Howell (of This Week in Law) -- though I also dropped that show because the episodes are way too long.
It's to the point that I have trouble with the Slate Political Gabfest because the regular host who says the most stuff that I am interested in (Emily Bazelon) suffers from the same problem -- part of which is exacerbated by the fact that whoever is producing the show does a terrible job of controlling the volume on her mic compared to her co-hosts.
It seems like if you are a woman who doesn't have an NPR voice, it takes a little more skill to record you and have you sound good. And since podcasts are not really known for their professional radio voices or audio production quality, it's more likely to be a problem.
I have no idea if this is just a personal issue that I have, or if it is a more widespread problem, but it is definitely a reason why I have stopped listening to women hosted podcasts. And probably isn't helped by the fact that there are just fewer ladycasts to begin with.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:50 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
And if the host's voice annoys me, I stop listening to the podcast, no matter how much I might care about what they have to say.
There have been a couple male hosted podcasts that I've dropped because of this (mostly Beer Network stuff, but they have obnoxious ads too). But I feel bad that I just cannot listen to Denise Howell (of This Week in Law) -- though I also dropped that show because the episodes are way too long.
It's to the point that I have trouble with the Slate Political Gabfest because the regular host who says the most stuff that I am interested in (Emily Bazelon) suffers from the same problem -- part of which is exacerbated by the fact that whoever is producing the show does a terrible job of controlling the volume on her mic compared to her co-hosts.
It seems like if you are a woman who doesn't have an NPR voice, it takes a little more skill to record you and have you sound good. And since podcasts are not really known for their professional radio voices or audio production quality, it's more likely to be a problem.
I have no idea if this is just a personal issue that I have, or if it is a more widespread problem, but it is definitely a reason why I have stopped listening to women hosted podcasts. And probably isn't helped by the fact that there are just fewer ladycasts to begin with.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:50 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
So the author, in her second bulleted point, says:
I don't listen to very many, but I don't care what gender a presenter is. I'm not going to go out of my way in either direction to look for the 'right' gender, I'm just interested in a good show. If, as this author asserts, women aren't willing to put in as much time, then presumably their podcasts will not be as good, which would also inherently skew listenership away.
Expecting people to subscribe because of gender, and not skill, is a subtler form of sexism... it's saying, "gee, women can't be as good at this, so you should listen to them anyway. They need the help." I do not buy that they're inherently less capable, and I plan to continue to select the few podcasts I catch with the same criterion: is the content interesting?
I imagine some of you may start in on me with the patriarchy and male privilege and shit, but my sole criteria is whether I feel a podcast is worth my time. This author is saying that I should settle for something inferior because that's all I can really expect from a woman, what with them being so incapable and all. I reject this premise.
posted by Malor at 9:51 AM on March 1, 2013 [14 favorites]
Unless born of already-existing media outlets (i.e. resources with business plans), most start-up podcasts bring in very little (if any) money, yet demand super-human efforts to be produced regularly. Many women who I spoke with mentioned they simply couldn’t afford these terms – and if they could somehow manage not getting paid for tireless devotion to a project, they couldn’t squeeze those hours needed into their already personally and professionally over-burdened days. Hillary Frank (The Longest, Shortest Time) pointed out that by the time they’re experienced enough to understand what producing a top-notch podcast takes, women have often started, or are soon planning to start a family, and this seriously hinders time and energy for any other demanding endeavors – no matter how supportive and helpful one’s partner is. This challenge clearly affects women differently, and more tangibly, than men.So women simply are choosing, apparently, not to make as many podcasts, or are unwilling to put the time and energy into building an audience. That kind of makes the whole thing shrug-worthy, because if they're not showing up in equal numbers, they simply will not be as represented in the top 100, and that's just how it is. No tears need be shed here. It's not a bunch of sexist asshole listeners, it's just that women aren't, per this author, willing to make the sacrifices to make their podcasts fly.
I don't listen to very many, but I don't care what gender a presenter is. I'm not going to go out of my way in either direction to look for the 'right' gender, I'm just interested in a good show. If, as this author asserts, women aren't willing to put in as much time, then presumably their podcasts will not be as good, which would also inherently skew listenership away.
Expecting people to subscribe because of gender, and not skill, is a subtler form of sexism... it's saying, "gee, women can't be as good at this, so you should listen to them anyway. They need the help." I do not buy that they're inherently less capable, and I plan to continue to select the few podcasts I catch with the same criterion: is the content interesting?
I imagine some of you may start in on me with the patriarchy and male privilege and shit, but my sole criteria is whether I feel a podcast is worth my time. This author is saying that I should settle for something inferior because that's all I can really expect from a woman, what with them being so incapable and all. I reject this premise.
posted by Malor at 9:51 AM on March 1, 2013 [14 favorites]
3. Ego / Entitlement
Objectively: there’s a certain amount of ego that goes along with being a host (of anything). Subjectively: Men seem more comfortable with (and/or entitled to) claiming center stage and asserting knowledge, expertise, wisdom, and opinions, than women. Subjectively: Men are socialized more around technology, electronic equipment, recreational gadgetry, and are therefore more fluent in using these tools to make things like… podcasts. Subjectively: Men are more confident there’s an interested audience out there, eager to hear what they think (or joke) about… anything. Subjectively: Women are more inclined to produce MHPs, or produce non-hosted podcasts, than to insert themselves as hosts. Subjectively: Women are more humble, more cautious, and less aggressive than men about their work, so women often struggle with and are less effective marketers for independent projects. Objectively: In an age where social networking and DIY marketing can systematically decide the success/failure of endeavors big and small, this is a huge liability for WHPs.
And also, surely:
Subjectively, men know their chances of a stranger calling them a fat slut every time for stating their opinion about whether that TV show is any good are relatively low.
posted by Kit W at 9:52 AM on March 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
Objectively: there’s a certain amount of ego that goes along with being a host (of anything). Subjectively: Men seem more comfortable with (and/or entitled to) claiming center stage and asserting knowledge, expertise, wisdom, and opinions, than women. Subjectively: Men are socialized more around technology, electronic equipment, recreational gadgetry, and are therefore more fluent in using these tools to make things like… podcasts. Subjectively: Men are more confident there’s an interested audience out there, eager to hear what they think (or joke) about… anything. Subjectively: Women are more inclined to produce MHPs, or produce non-hosted podcasts, than to insert themselves as hosts. Subjectively: Women are more humble, more cautious, and less aggressive than men about their work, so women often struggle with and are less effective marketers for independent projects. Objectively: In an age where social networking and DIY marketing can systematically decide the success/failure of endeavors big and small, this is a huge liability for WHPs.
And also, surely:
Subjectively, men know their chances of a stranger calling them a fat slut every time for stating their opinion about whether that TV show is any good are relatively low.
posted by Kit W at 9:52 AM on March 1, 2013 [11 favorites]
That's interesting, sparklemotion - I quit listening to the (now defunct) Lavender Hour because they did such a poor job of regulating Natasha Leggero's mike. In general I find a lot of podcasts difficult to listen to in the car because of amateur audio mixing, and I am not even close to a snob about that sort of thing.
I only listen to three podcasts, all on the MaxFun network, and only one of them (Throwing Shade) has a female host. I have noticed that Jordan, Jesse Go! has been doing a good job of bringing on a fair number of women guests lately, though, moreso than in the past.
posted by something something at 9:55 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I only listen to three podcasts, all on the MaxFun network, and only one of them (Throwing Shade) has a female host. I have noticed that Jordan, Jesse Go! has been doing a good job of bringing on a fair number of women guests lately, though, moreso than in the past.
posted by something something at 9:55 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
So women simply are choosing, apparently, not to make as many podcasts, or are unwilling to put the time and energy into building an audience. That kind of makes the whole thing shrug-worthy, because if they're not showing up in equal numbers, they simply will not be as represented in the top 100, and that's just how it is. No tears need be shed here.
Unless you think women also 'choose' to get paid, on average, 81 cents on the dollar compared to men, and 'choose' to get burdened with a society that gives shitty paternity cover and still expects women to do the bulk of the childcare, then no, 'choose' is not the operative word here. Try 'can't, because they're poorer and busier.' Try not 'unwilling' but 'unable.'
posted by Kit W at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013 [19 favorites]
Unless you think women also 'choose' to get paid, on average, 81 cents on the dollar compared to men, and 'choose' to get burdened with a society that gives shitty paternity cover and still expects women to do the bulk of the childcare, then no, 'choose' is not the operative word here. Try 'can't, because they're poorer and busier.' Try not 'unwilling' but 'unable.'
posted by Kit W at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013 [19 favorites]
I imagine some of you may start in on me with the patriarchy and male privilege and shit, but my sole criteria is whether I feel a podcast is worth my time. This author is saying that I should settle for something inferior because that's all I can really expect from a woman, what with them being so incapable and all. I reject this premise.
I don't think that's what she's saying though. Her point is that, yes, there are fewer podcasts made by women for various reasons, which is one, but not all, of the reasons why there are few popular podcasts run by women. She isn't insisting that everyone needs to run out and listen to any crappy lady podcast they can find; she's just pointing out a thing which is objectively true.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't think that's what she's saying though. Her point is that, yes, there are fewer podcasts made by women for various reasons, which is one, but not all, of the reasons why there are few popular podcasts run by women. She isn't insisting that everyone needs to run out and listen to any crappy lady podcast they can find; she's just pointing out a thing which is objectively true.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I agree that Klausner's great. Looking over my podcast roster, I see a few co-hosted by women (How Did This Get Made, Nerd Poker, Who Charted), but outside of How Was Your Week, none hosted by women. This is probably self-selecting on my part as I tend to listen to podcasts about soccer, aliens, rpgs, comicbooks, and other stereotypically male subjects.
Looking over EarWolf's roster (who produce all the parenthetical podcasts mentioned above), I see 30 podcasts. Of the 30, two are entirely female hosted (Apple Sisters and Ronna & Beverly) while another 5 have female co-hosts/ensemble members.
Please help me. The article states that two dozen people were asked, of which "a little more than half" responded. Of those who did, about 85% were female. Later, the article says that only 3 men replied.
It's Friday, it's been a long week, and my brain is puffy from lunch but I can't make these numbers work out.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013
Looking over EarWolf's roster (who produce all the parenthetical podcasts mentioned above), I see 30 podcasts. Of the 30, two are entirely female hosted (Apple Sisters and Ronna & Beverly) while another 5 have female co-hosts/ensemble members.
Please help me. The article states that two dozen people were asked, of which "a little more than half" responded. Of those who did, about 85% were female. Later, the article says that only 3 men replied.
It's Friday, it's been a long week, and my brain is puffy from lunch but I can't make these numbers work out.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:56 AM on March 1, 2013
I don't listen to a ton of podcasts, but of those that I have listened to only one had a woman host, and it was a husband'n'wife cohosting thing. And though I don't have actual stats, anecdotally I can tell you that many of the men I know are regular podcast listeners but none of the women I know have ever listened to a podcast...as far as I know. It's certainly never been discussed and the few times I've mentioned a podcast to women I know (relatives, friends, coworkers) I've mostly been met with blank stares.
And Space Coyote, a podcast called "The Dork Forest" sounds PRECISELY in my personal wheelhouse (seriously that must one of the best titles of anything web-related ever). Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Is it really egotistical and entitled to want to host a podcast?
Well she only objectively asserted that "a certain amount of ego" is required to be a host of something. And I don't think to have ego is quite that same as being egotistical. That is to say, I think it's true you do have to have some strong sense of self in order to put yourself out there as a host/authority of something.
Then she goes on to talk about the more (in her own words) subjective idea that men are socialized to be more entitled to "claiming center stage and asserting knowledge, expertise, wisdom, and opinions, than women." So there's a distinction, and I think she's just trying to parse one potential reason for the imbalance: for purely arbitrary social reasons the confidence barrier likely tends to be lower for a man than for a woman to get up one day and say "hey, I could totally do a podcast about this and people will want to listen to ME".
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:57 AM on March 1, 2013
And Space Coyote, a podcast called "The Dork Forest" sounds PRECISELY in my personal wheelhouse (seriously that must one of the best titles of anything web-related ever). Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Is it really egotistical and entitled to want to host a podcast?
Well she only objectively asserted that "a certain amount of ego" is required to be a host of something. And I don't think to have ego is quite that same as being egotistical. That is to say, I think it's true you do have to have some strong sense of self in order to put yourself out there as a host/authority of something.
Then she goes on to talk about the more (in her own words) subjective idea that men are socialized to be more entitled to "claiming center stage and asserting knowledge, expertise, wisdom, and opinions, than women." So there's a distinction, and I think she's just trying to parse one potential reason for the imbalance: for purely arbitrary social reasons the confidence barrier likely tends to be lower for a man than for a woman to get up one day and say "hey, I could totally do a podcast about this and people will want to listen to ME".
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:57 AM on March 1, 2013
I only listen to one podcast on a regular basis; it is Aisha Tyler's; it is explicitely about things that are considered "stereotypically male subjects" (gaming, nerd media, and comedy) and she gets so much shit being a woman, a black woman, talking as an expert on 'male subjects' that I'm not surprised that there's a disproportionate amount of women who think that it's not worth the shit they get simply for being a Woman in Public.
posted by muddgirl at 10:01 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by muddgirl at 10:01 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm not a fan of Julie Klausner, but that may be because I found her book a very annoying self-serving piece of egotism despite the fact she's deprecating her penchant for sleeping with the wrong men.
Sometimes her tweets are amusing, though.
posted by Kitteh at 10:03 AM on March 1, 2013
Sometimes her tweets are amusing, though.
posted by Kitteh at 10:03 AM on March 1, 2013
The Video Games Hotdog guys girlfriends do a podcast called Video Games Taco. It's well regarded among the goons.
Here's their twitter: https://twitter.com/VideoGamesTaco
posted by SpannerX at 10:07 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Here's their twitter: https://twitter.com/VideoGamesTaco
posted by SpannerX at 10:07 AM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
There are women on virtually all of my favorite podcasts. This was not intentional selection on my part - but I admit I could have an subconscious bias.
Co-hosted - Galactic Watercooler, (sadly departed) Extra Hot Great, Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan, and Tuning in to Sci-Fi TV.
Two women hosts: Pop Stuff, Stuff You Missed in History Class.
Two male hosts: Stuff You Should Know, Firewall and Iceberg.
posted by Squeak Attack at 10:10 AM on March 1, 2013
Co-hosted - Galactic Watercooler, (sadly departed) Extra Hot Great, Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan, and Tuning in to Sci-Fi TV.
Two women hosts: Pop Stuff, Stuff You Missed in History Class.
Two male hosts: Stuff You Should Know, Firewall and Iceberg.
posted by Squeak Attack at 10:10 AM on March 1, 2013
Isn't "podcasting" just a euphemism for home-brewed MP3 talk shows?
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
posted by mrgrimm at 10:20 AM on March 1, 2013
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
posted by mrgrimm at 10:20 AM on March 1, 2013
Isn't "podcasting" just a euphemism for home-brewed MP3 talk shows?
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
There are now multiple competing podcast networks with very sophisticated shows, and in addition most popular radio programs are now available as podcasts. It's like a whole big thing.
You know how Twitter has turned out to be a medium for celebrities to engage directly with fans, instead of through an intermediary? Podcasts are like that times twenty.
This is sort of a stupid example but... on a certain online dating site where you are told to list your favorite movies, books, music and TV shows, I have recently seen a ton of guys who make a separate category just to list their favorite podcasts.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:34 AM on March 1, 2013
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
There are now multiple competing podcast networks with very sophisticated shows, and in addition most popular radio programs are now available as podcasts. It's like a whole big thing.
You know how Twitter has turned out to be a medium for celebrities to engage directly with fans, instead of through an intermediary? Podcasts are like that times twenty.
This is sort of a stupid example but... on a certain online dating site where you are told to list your favorite movies, books, music and TV shows, I have recently seen a ton of guys who make a separate category just to list their favorite podcasts.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:34 AM on March 1, 2013
(Looking back at the article, that fact that point three is labeled "Ego/Entitlement" when everything in it is basically "socialization" sort of weirds me out.
I don't want to criticize this instance, but I think you're right to be wary of this kind of thing. Reminiscent of "them and us" language, I'm noticing a creep towards "entitlement" being something that exclusively afflicts the Other. My predilections are socialization, yours are entitlement.
I guess it's not surprising. On the wider stage, "entitlements" in US politics is double-speak for "things I am paying for that I don't agree you are entitled to"
posted by anonymisc at 10:35 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I don't want to criticize this instance, but I think you're right to be wary of this kind of thing. Reminiscent of "them and us" language, I'm noticing a creep towards "entitlement" being something that exclusively afflicts the Other. My predilections are socialization, yours are entitlement.
I guess it's not surprising. On the wider stage, "entitlements" in US politics is double-speak for "things I am paying for that I don't agree you are entitled to"
posted by anonymisc at 10:35 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Stuff Mom Never Told You from How Stuff Works is a fantastic podcast with two female hosts.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:58 AM on March 1, 2013
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:58 AM on March 1, 2013
Isn't "podcasting" just a euphemism for home-brewed MP3 talk shows?
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
People with long commutes seem to be a large audience.
I got into them after I figured out they are free, and I was tired of paying big $$ for audiobooks.
There are good exercise podcasts as well, like different ones that coach you through Couch to 5k with narration of the time periods and music.
I wear my iPod all the time when doing household chores and walking to work. I never have anything on my iPod except podcasts and pictures of my dogs. I'm not really a music person.
posted by Squeak Attack at 11:05 AM on March 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
People with long commutes seem to be a large audience.
I got into them after I figured out they are free, and I was tired of paying big $$ for audiobooks.
There are good exercise podcasts as well, like different ones that coach you through Couch to 5k with narration of the time periods and music.
I wear my iPod all the time when doing household chores and walking to work. I never have anything on my iPod except podcasts and pictures of my dogs. I'm not really a music person.
posted by Squeak Attack at 11:05 AM on March 1, 2013 [7 favorites]
Unless born of already-existing media outlets (i.e. resources with business plans), most start-up podcasts bring in very little (if any) money, yet demand super-human efforts to be produced regularly. Many women who I spoke with mentioned they simply couldn’t afford these terms – and if they could somehow manage not getting paid for tireless devotion to a project, they couldn’t squeeze those hours needed into their already personally and professionally over-burdened days. Hillary Frank (The Longest, Shortest Time) pointed out that by the time they’re experienced enough to understand what producing a top-notch podcast takes, women have often started, or are soon planning to start a family, and this seriously hinders time and energy for any other demanding endeavors – no matter how supportive and helpful one’s partner is. This challenge clearly affects women differently, and more tangibly, than men.And this is really the perfect example of how systemic gender inequality is not even seen, but blamed on the victims of this inequality.
So women simply are choosing, apparently, not to make as many podcasts, or are unwilling to put the time and energy into building an audience. That kind of makes the whole thing shrug-worthy, because if they're not showing up in equal numbers, they simply will not be as represented in the top 100, and that's just how it is. No tears need be shed here. It's not a bunch of sexist asshole listeners, it's just that women aren't, per this author, willing to make the sacrifices to make their podcasts fly.
posted by MartinWisse at 11:17 AM on March 1, 2013 [10 favorites]
The all female Verity Podcast is by far the best Doctor Who podcast at the moment and is a breath of fresh air compared to the mass of geeky boy SciFi 'casts.
posted by brilliantmistake at 11:35 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by brilliantmistake at 11:35 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I held off on Aisha Tyler's podcast, because I never enjoyed Aisha Tyler that much as a podcast guest, but I really like the way she controls the conversation as a host. With Julie Klausner, I keep listening because I've enjoyed her on other podcasts and she has a lot of guests I like (Starlee Kine!) but I find her podcast pretty meandering, even by podcast standards.
The only podcast that I can't miss every week is the storytelling podcast Risk, which is hosted by a man (The State's Kevin Allison), but has a pretty even gender balance among the storytellers and has a lot more of a focus on queer, trans, and kinkster stories, and a slight edge on (San Francisco-and-New York, liberal, middle-class and artist-class) people of color (although it's still overwhelmingly white/Jewish)
posted by elr at 12:50 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
The only podcast that I can't miss every week is the storytelling podcast Risk, which is hosted by a man (The State's Kevin Allison), but has a pretty even gender balance among the storytellers and has a lot more of a focus on queer, trans, and kinkster stories, and a slight edge on (San Francisco-and-New York, liberal, middle-class and artist-class) people of color (although it's still overwhelmingly white/Jewish)
posted by elr at 12:50 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I was gonna start a podcast a while ago (and plan to actually start one soon), and one of my friends asked me immediately, "Will it be two white men talking to each other?" It... it would have been, yes.
posted by cthuljew at 12:54 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by cthuljew at 12:54 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm curious- is there any data on the overall listenership of podcasts? Most people I know who listen to them are guys, although not all. Could it be related to the general idea that technology is a 'dude thing'?
I actually do academic research on independent podcasting, and I posted a comment to the linked blog about that yesterday. I've been researching podcast producers, not listening, and so far both surveys I've done (and two I know of by other scholars) all find podcasting to be a very male-dominated endeavor.
I just checked a 2012 Aribtron/Edison Media Research reports for demographics on podcast listening, but they don't have a breakdown by gender. I think it's probably not as lopsided as production is.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 12:55 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I actually do academic research on independent podcasting, and I posted a comment to the linked blog about that yesterday. I've been researching podcast producers, not listening, and so far both surveys I've done (and two I know of by other scholars) all find podcasting to be a very male-dominated endeavor.
I just checked a 2012 Aribtron/Edison Media Research reports for demographics on podcast listening, but they don't have a breakdown by gender. I think it's probably not as lopsided as production is.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 12:55 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
This is sort of a stupid example but... on a certain online dating site where you are told to list your favorite movies, books, music and TV shows, I have recently seen a ton of guys who make a separate category just to list their favorite podcasts.
Dan Savage has suggested that listeners of The Savage Lovecast should use it as code in personals. Not surprising, & not a bad idea.
posted by Going To Maine at 1:02 PM on March 1, 2013
Ok I found an older industry report that shows the podcast audience as 52% male, 48% female. The report is from 2010, though their listening data were from 2006.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 1:07 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by DiscourseMarker at 1:07 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I actually do academic research on independent podcasting
See this sort of thing is why I love this site
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:27 PM on March 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
See this sort of thing is why I love this site
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:27 PM on March 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
The women I know who do anything like this are making podfic instead - like audiobooks of fanfic.
I shouldn't be surprised, but a lot of them are Fantastic.
posted by ldthomps at 1:30 PM on March 1, 2013
I shouldn't be surprised, but a lot of them are Fantastic.
posted by ldthomps at 1:30 PM on March 1, 2013
I would look at TWiT again, as it's greatly expanded on its selection of podcasts that are either mixed or solely female-hosted. I saw This Week in Law mentioned upthread, but TWiT also has The Social Hour (previously "Net@Night") is all-female, as is iFive for iPhone, and All About Android is led by a woman (bonus points: a lesbian!). Most of the other TWiT shows rotate in women hosts, too (see: Before You Buy and Tech News Today).
I would also take a look at Frogpants as it has ladies at the controls as well: Ladies of Leet and the upcoming retooling of GeekFood to name a couple.
posted by Yoshi Ayarane at 1:38 PM on March 1, 2013
I would also take a look at Frogpants as it has ladies at the controls as well: Ladies of Leet and the upcoming retooling of GeekFood to name a couple.
posted by Yoshi Ayarane at 1:38 PM on March 1, 2013
I love Professor Blastoff. Even though it is co-hosted by a woman (Tig Notaro), that woman is definitely the head honcho of the podcast. I'll definitely be checking out some of the suggestions here.
posted by orme at 2:21 PM on March 1, 2013
posted by orme at 2:21 PM on March 1, 2013
I don't think I've ever listened to one. I can't believe they still exist!
You know how blogs were a cool thing and suddenly everyone had a blog and they were a publishing revolution? And now everyone and her hamster has a blog and no-one gives a shit anymore because they've just become background noise? Well, that second part didn't really happen to podcasts. There are a lot of valuable, interesting, and cool ones out there.
posted by Jimbob at 2:57 PM on March 1, 2013
You know how blogs were a cool thing and suddenly everyone had a blog and they were a publishing revolution? And now everyone and her hamster has a blog and no-one gives a shit anymore because they've just become background noise? Well, that second part didn't really happen to podcasts. There are a lot of valuable, interesting, and cool ones out there.
posted by Jimbob at 2:57 PM on March 1, 2013
My favorite podcast is hosted by a woman and occasionally co-hosted by men--Polyamory Weekly.
posted by luckynerd at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2013
posted by luckynerd at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2013
My wife does a weekly podcast about knitting.
posted by Mick at 3:33 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Mick at 3:33 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm surprised that no one's mentioning the two-women-hosted Stuff You Didn't Learn In History Class. Ironically, I enjoy it, but my wife finds the hosts' voices mega-annoying, and so forbids me from listening to it in the house.
But regarding the article: This sort of thing leaves me incredibly frustrated:
Unless born of already-existing media outlets (i.e. resources with business plans), most start-up podcasts bring in very little (if any) money, yet demand super-human efforts to be produced regularly.
Oh bullshit. To make a podcast, one needs a microphone, a computer, internet access, and the ability to talk for ten minutes to an hour every week/2 weeks/month, depending on your release schedule. Lots of fairly successful podcasts are made with $50 microphones. Even big-name podcasts, like the Earwolf family, burn less cash per episode than you'd spend on a dinner party.
This article is bemoaning a problem while making the problem worse. Instead of encouraging women to make things, the author is telling women that they could not possibly make things. She's lying. Anyone who has the time, money, and access to read this article about podcasts has the resources to start a podcast. If you are a woman who is frustrated by the lack of women-hosted podcasts, THEN START ONE! It is absurdly easy, and you will be making the world a better place.
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
But regarding the article: This sort of thing leaves me incredibly frustrated:
Unless born of already-existing media outlets (i.e. resources with business plans), most start-up podcasts bring in very little (if any) money, yet demand super-human efforts to be produced regularly.
Oh bullshit. To make a podcast, one needs a microphone, a computer, internet access, and the ability to talk for ten minutes to an hour every week/2 weeks/month, depending on your release schedule. Lots of fairly successful podcasts are made with $50 microphones. Even big-name podcasts, like the Earwolf family, burn less cash per episode than you'd spend on a dinner party.
This article is bemoaning a problem while making the problem worse. Instead of encouraging women to make things, the author is telling women that they could not possibly make things. She's lying. Anyone who has the time, money, and access to read this article about podcasts has the resources to start a podcast. If you are a woman who is frustrated by the lack of women-hosted podcasts, THEN START ONE! It is absurdly easy, and you will be making the world a better place.
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
YEAH!
(I have wanted to start a podcast for so long but aside from food and cats and Doctor Who, I got nothing to talk about except the occasional angry rant about politics)
posted by Kitteh at 3:43 PM on March 1, 2013
(I have wanted to start a podcast for so long but aside from food and cats and Doctor Who, I got nothing to talk about except the occasional angry rant about politics)
posted by Kitteh at 3:43 PM on March 1, 2013
It is absurdly easy
Well, it's absurdly easy to make one. It's very hard to make a good one. I mean, by this measure, painting is easy, too. I think she's wrong to say it requires superhuman efforts just to produce one regularly (although keeping up the task of having something to say every week is ... I would argue it's not actually effortless), but making it anything people will want to listen to -- not to mention anything that will stand out from everything else people are throwing out into the universe -- is something else entirely. So you're right that she shouldn't discourage people from starting them, and I'm glad you pointed out that there are low barriers to entry if all you're talking about is entry. But going from "it exists" to anything more than that indeed involves a lot of hard work.
You're sort of both right -- she's making it sound harder than it is to invent The You Show, but getting it into the Stitcher Top 100, the list she's talking about, is not something you do with no effort.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 3:53 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Well, it's absurdly easy to make one. It's very hard to make a good one. I mean, by this measure, painting is easy, too. I think she's wrong to say it requires superhuman efforts just to produce one regularly (although keeping up the task of having something to say every week is ... I would argue it's not actually effortless), but making it anything people will want to listen to -- not to mention anything that will stand out from everything else people are throwing out into the universe -- is something else entirely. So you're right that she shouldn't discourage people from starting them, and I'm glad you pointed out that there are low barriers to entry if all you're talking about is entry. But going from "it exists" to anything more than that indeed involves a lot of hard work.
You're sort of both right -- she's making it sound harder than it is to invent The You Show, but getting it into the Stitcher Top 100, the list she's talking about, is not something you do with no effort.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 3:53 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Anyone who has the time, money, and access to read this article about podcasts has the resources to start a podcast.
It takes perhaps a couple of minutes to read that article. It takes a lot of preparation every week to release a regular podcast that's actually good and considered. Anyone can witter into a mike for ten minutes, but to produce something people actually want to hear, almost everybody needs to plan, and that's time-consuming.
The heading may be 'Podcast Economics', but the substance of the actual paragraph is about time. And particularly the lack of time that mothers have: Hillary Frank (The Longest, Shortest Time) pointed out that by the time they’re experienced enough to understand what producing a top-notch podcast takes, women have often started, or are soon planning to start a family, and this seriously hinders time and energy for any other demanding endeavors – no matter how supportive and helpful one’s partner is. This challenge clearly affects women differently, and more tangibly, than men.
The issue about money is very simple: there's work you have to do because you need to pay the bills, and then there's work you do for love that doesn't pay. If you have a small child or children, chances are that almost all of the latter is going to be looking after them. If a podcast doesn't pay enough that you can cut back on your earning hours, you have to cut back on your childcare hours. Most modern mothers have too few of those as it is, and even if they don't, cutting back on your own childcare generally means paying for somebody else to watch the kids, which costs money that a free podcast won't cover.
She's not talking about cash, she's talking about billable woman-hours. Bills have to be paid, children have to be raised. Those things generally take up more than a comfortable amount of a woman's life as it is. Taking on another regular commitment that doesn't either replace paying work or pay for a sitter is going to be difficult for a woman with children.
There is nothing at all 'absurdly easy' about balancing motherhood with everything else in your life, and that is the main point of that paragraph.
posted by Kit W at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
It takes perhaps a couple of minutes to read that article. It takes a lot of preparation every week to release a regular podcast that's actually good and considered. Anyone can witter into a mike for ten minutes, but to produce something people actually want to hear, almost everybody needs to plan, and that's time-consuming.
The heading may be 'Podcast Economics', but the substance of the actual paragraph is about time. And particularly the lack of time that mothers have: Hillary Frank (The Longest, Shortest Time) pointed out that by the time they’re experienced enough to understand what producing a top-notch podcast takes, women have often started, or are soon planning to start a family, and this seriously hinders time and energy for any other demanding endeavors – no matter how supportive and helpful one’s partner is. This challenge clearly affects women differently, and more tangibly, than men.
The issue about money is very simple: there's work you have to do because you need to pay the bills, and then there's work you do for love that doesn't pay. If you have a small child or children, chances are that almost all of the latter is going to be looking after them. If a podcast doesn't pay enough that you can cut back on your earning hours, you have to cut back on your childcare hours. Most modern mothers have too few of those as it is, and even if they don't, cutting back on your own childcare generally means paying for somebody else to watch the kids, which costs money that a free podcast won't cover.
She's not talking about cash, she's talking about billable woman-hours. Bills have to be paid, children have to be raised. Those things generally take up more than a comfortable amount of a woman's life as it is. Taking on another regular commitment that doesn't either replace paying work or pay for a sitter is going to be difficult for a woman with children.
There is nothing at all 'absurdly easy' about balancing motherhood with everything else in your life, and that is the main point of that paragraph.
posted by Kit W at 3:54 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
My two favorite podcasts at the moment are female-hosted, though they're both music podcasts. (Filmic and Jessica6, both off of RadioNowhere.)
posted by Karmakaze at 3:56 PM on March 1, 2013
posted by Karmakaze at 3:56 PM on March 1, 2013
I highly recommend the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast, which I think has almost always been hosted by two women. I also enjoy Grammar Girl and am disappointed to discover that grammar is a girl thing. I also love Fresh Air and Aisha Tyler so perhaps my podcast playlist does not support this thesis, unless history is also "girl thing."
posted by Toekneesan at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Toekneesan at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Look at his Butt! is hosted by a hilarious pair of women. They talk about sf, Star Trek, fanfic, movies, books, and William Shatner -- he of the titular butt.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 5:05 PM on March 1, 2013
posted by pickles_have_souls at 5:05 PM on March 1, 2013
I'd venture that it's a self-perpetuating problem in that the podcasting culture is dominated by bro-shows like Adam Carolla and Joe Rogan, male-centric comedy podcasts, and infotainment shows by male geeks regarding issues of primarily male interest, presented to appeal to men. Coverage of podcasts centers around male-centric podcasts and is overwhelmingly written by men. If I were a woman interested in podcasting, I'd have little reason to believe based on what I was seeing of that community that my voice would be welcomed or considered. Therefore, I probably would find other outlets, like blogging.
I don't know what the listenership of podcasts is or whether the audience is growing or not. If it is growing, I believe the situation will change at some point, as the barriers to entry fall, more women start podcasts, and a critical mass develops that changes the overall perception of podcasting from the male-centric image it currently has. But people need to keep publicizing the issue and encouraging women to get into podcasting, so I think more articles like this one would be a great idea.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 5:28 PM on March 1, 2013
I don't know what the listenership of podcasts is or whether the audience is growing or not. If it is growing, I believe the situation will change at some point, as the barriers to entry fall, more women start podcasts, and a critical mass develops that changes the overall perception of podcasting from the male-centric image it currently has. But people need to keep publicizing the issue and encouraging women to get into podcasting, so I think more articles like this one would be a great idea.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 5:28 PM on March 1, 2013
I am not interested in podcasts. New information presented in audio (and video) form is just too low-bandwidth for me. I'm very text-based. Oh, and I'm a woman.
posted by limeonaire at 6:31 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 6:31 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't listen to podcasts, although I occasionally download them intending to if they are mentioned here, and I don't pay attention to the gender of the presenters, but I am pretty sure 3 Chicks Review Comics is a male-free zone most of the time.
Some people might like it, so I may as well mention it.
posted by Mezentian at 8:28 PM on March 1, 2013
Some people might like it, so I may as well mention it.
posted by Mezentian at 8:28 PM on March 1, 2013
Chelsea Peretti is a great standup and writer and she hosts her own podcast.
posted by FeralHat at 8:45 PM on March 1, 2013
posted by FeralHat at 8:45 PM on March 1, 2013
I am awfully tired of hearing "women are too busy making/taking care of teh babiez" as a reason why there aren't more women doing well, much of anything. I suspect "getting nasty remarks and stalkers and crazies because you're a woman in public" is a more likely reason.
I was debating doing a podcast for awhile, until I realized that I really didn't want to have to listen to myself while editing it. Where the heck are all these people finding someone else to do their editing?
Checking my ladies-only podcast list (of shows still updating): Cast On, Polyamory Weekly, I Should Be Writing, Janet Varney on Nerdist (I miss "Making It"). I miss Popcorn Dialogues too. But yeah, it seems like most podcasts on my list are cohosted by a man and a woman, or a bunch of men and one woman. Hmmmm.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:59 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was debating doing a podcast for awhile, until I realized that I really didn't want to have to listen to myself while editing it. Where the heck are all these people finding someone else to do their editing?
Checking my ladies-only podcast list (of shows still updating): Cast On, Polyamory Weekly, I Should Be Writing, Janet Varney on Nerdist (I miss "Making It"). I miss Popcorn Dialogues too. But yeah, it seems like most podcasts on my list are cohosted by a man and a woman, or a bunch of men and one woman. Hmmmm.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:59 PM on March 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
awfully tired of hearing "women are too busy making/taking care of teh babiez" as a reason why there aren't more women doing well, much of anything. I suspect "getting nasty remarks and stalkers and crazies because you're a woman in public" is a more likely reason.
Not to underrate the effect of stalkers, but speaking as a woman taking care of one of teh babiez, I'm tired of people hearing people assume that it shouldn't get in the way of my doing anything. The degree of work, time and energy it takes is immense, and having that recognised is a feminist issue. If people argue that mothers have as much time and energy as everyone else, they're simply undervaluing women's work.
It's obviously not an argument that applies to non-mothers, but mothers are pulling a double load and that needs to be recognised so we can get the support and respect we need not to be silenced by it.
The playing field isn't level, and it doesn't benefit women to ignore this, and unequal childcare duties is one of the biggest and most universal reasons men have an advantage. It's just as much part if the picture as harassment and underpay, and saying 'Childcare is demanding' is no more calling women baby machines than saying 'Harrassment is scary' is calling women cowards.
posted by Kit W at 1:01 AM on March 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
Not to underrate the effect of stalkers, but speaking as a woman taking care of one of teh babiez, I'm tired of people hearing people assume that it shouldn't get in the way of my doing anything. The degree of work, time and energy it takes is immense, and having that recognised is a feminist issue. If people argue that mothers have as much time and energy as everyone else, they're simply undervaluing women's work.
It's obviously not an argument that applies to non-mothers, but mothers are pulling a double load and that needs to be recognised so we can get the support and respect we need not to be silenced by it.
The playing field isn't level, and it doesn't benefit women to ignore this, and unequal childcare duties is one of the biggest and most universal reasons men have an advantage. It's just as much part if the picture as harassment and underpay, and saying 'Childcare is demanding' is no more calling women baby machines than saying 'Harrassment is scary' is calling women cowards.
posted by Kit W at 1:01 AM on March 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
I feel like you guys are all trying to guilt me into getting a female guest on my podcast to talk about knitting instead of sitting in my bedroom talking into a mic with my bro while we watch Lexx.
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:37 AM on March 2, 2013
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:37 AM on March 2, 2013
Also, it doesn't take that much time, effort, or money to make a podcast. I'd even say it's a nice listen. I do it with $200 worth of purpose bought equipment and about four hours of recording and editing time a week.
I think a contributing factor to the male-domination of the field is the well-documented extended adolescence of men in this country. I'm in my 30's now and still get a special joy talking about the action figures I had when I was a kid. Plus, I have a low paying, low-stress job that gives me enough free time to put it out each week. And, yes, I am (technically) a single dad.
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:45 AM on March 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think a contributing factor to the male-domination of the field is the well-documented extended adolescence of men in this country. I'm in my 30's now and still get a special joy talking about the action figures I had when I was a kid. Plus, I have a low paying, low-stress job that gives me enough free time to put it out each week. And, yes, I am (technically) a single dad.
posted by runcibleshaw at 1:45 AM on March 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Stop projecting your sociocultural expectations on my waveform!
posted by blue_beetle at 4:31 AM on March 2, 2013
posted by blue_beetle at 4:31 AM on March 2, 2013
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This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
I'm curious- is there any data on the overall listenership of podcasts? Most people I know who listen to them are guys, although not all. Could it be related to the general idea that technology is a 'dude thing'?
(Throwing Shade and Sex Nerd Sandra are two great podcasts cohosted by one man and one woman...)
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:36 AM on March 1, 2013 [2 favorites]