By Chris Richards Chris Richards Pop music critic Email Bio Follow Pop music critic April 17 at 1:41 PM I’m about to kick a hornet’s nest — and if this were a podcast, you would now hear the crunch of a boot perforating a hive, followed by the intensifying hum of inconvenienced hornets. But, fortunately, this isn’t a podcast, so my punt shall remain silent, and here it is: I’m against podcasts.
Like it or not, they’re invading a soundworld near you. The marquee names of podcasting — “Pod Save America,” “The Joe Budden Podcast,” “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” and many others — are currently appearing on actual marquees, bringing their discussions into nightclubs and theaters usually dedicated to live music.
“I hate podcasts because of how they sound,” I tweeted. “Readers and writers collaborate, establishing a rhythm inside the reader’s mind. Podcasts dictate the beat. It’s tragic, all these great thinkers presenting their thoughts like that kid playing the drum pads at Guitar Center.” But I stand by my little Twitter fit, to which someone replied with a sensible thought: “Sounds like you just spent some time with a bad podcast!” It immediately reminded me of Sturgeon’s Law — a maxim by the late science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon, who once said that “90 percent of everything is crap.” But perhaps that was it. Maybe my 10 percent was still out there, waiting to be discovered.
I wish someone would, though. We should be listening to podcasts with the same broad, discerning, variety-craving ears that we apply to music. If we’re really talking about “the most significant and exciting cultural innovation of the new century,” is that so outrageous of a demand?
What a bunch of self righteous pompous article. You guys didnt actually pay him for this drivel did you?
Music, in some form or another, is older than human civilization. Congrats, podcasters! You killed something more ancient than humanity!
Who hurt you?
“Old man yells at cloud” biggest eye roll i’ve ever rolled, dude. Podcasts and music can coexist in the same place. People can listen to, or not in your dumb ass case, whatever they want. Fuck off with this stupid ass article.
You guys are a joke
What a shitty take 😂
I didn't like this article because I don't like the font you used.
Which podcaster hurt you Wapo?
This article is a mix between 'Kids these days...' And what feels like a kind of pretentious 'If I don't like it then it's bad'. I have listened to plenty of podcasts that sound completely fine, whether they are fictional or not. It's either talk show or audio drama
Yeah okay boomers
Nice try, but i hate you guys so much im not even going to give you a hate click
Oh boy, how could a piece such as this one possibly go wrong?
Y'all better put some respect on JoeBuddenPod name. Talking all this shit for no reason.
Whoever wrote this clearly does not understand the value of listening to people talk about all sorts of stuff while you do the drudgery of working or travelling.
Is the Washington post killing the press or just wasting our time?
Wow, what a shitty article.
😂🤣😂🤣😂 or they're just listening to bad podcasts. I listen to the most popular podcast out there and there's a sound engineer who makes it sound superior. So step your listening up.
Thanks, I needed a good laugh
For what we lack in polished skill, we make up for with pure salaciousness 💪🏽💪🏾
This is dumb. Follow us if you like podcasts.
Oh come on
Listen to 20korg. d_llas makes audio fidelity just as important as the story.
Should we read the paper? I mean we could be watching TV?
It’s why any audio - music or spoken word should always sound the best. I am staunch of supporter of good audio. My motto in life and work is: ‘No one cares about audio, until they can’t hear it!’
Is this article killing my brain cells or just wasting my time?
Lol this hot take on podcasting. Ppl listen to pods because they want to be informed or entertained. The same with music. it's not a waste of time if someone benefits from it through entertainment or education. FeministPod
This is some 'interesting' shit... 👎
jameyjasta deesnider thoughts gentlemen?
Post is 🗑, time to get over yourself
The argument is more well-formed when you read the entire article, but the headline is really over simplified and very generalized. I suppose that is intentional to get one fired up. As with anything, there is the good, the bad and everything in between.
Your listening to the wrong Podcasts
Maybe looking for a different podcast, they are a lot of them out there , the best ones are the ones the small one that are working hard to be noticed, the big ones just have it on cruise control
Jesus this headline seems like it was written by a 4th grader
I read the whole thing. It’s as bad as you think it is.
'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?' You could literally flip that around and it would be exactly the same.
Podcast is only way we get the real news these days . Can’t trust you or majority of the mainstream media anymore . It’s pathetic .
Uh...
I look forward to your next published opinion piece 'Music is Bad, Actually' by Noted Book Critic or 'Zero Sum Entertainment Is All That Matters'
This dude listens to the wrong podcasts.
Chris__Richards That’s true for a lot of them, but can be said in any media genre, especially music. Music lately is as bad as what you think most podcasts sound like. So instead of being too hip for the room, rethink the compare & contrast of both and you’ll see their same.
A podcast killed Chris__Richards’ family and made him watch.
How do you have a job you hack?
I do a high quality show about music.
People are going to pod casts because they can get both sides, not just one side like they do with the MSM.
I’m happy to write you an article that is the exact polar opposite of this!
So go listen to some music, dork.
It’s definitely the podcast industry that’s dying and not you.
“I hate podcasts because of how they sound” omg then do hate human conversations then because your stupid Seriously what Wrong with this guy
'Hot takes are bad because hot takes sound bad — and hot takes sound bad because the writer isn’t thinking hard enough about making any logical sense.”
I LISTEN TO BOTH PODCASTS AND MUSIC AND I DON’T KNOW IF I AM KILLING MUSIC OR PODCASTS MORE PLS ADVISE ON HOW 2 BALANCE EAR SOUND CONSUMPTION TY
You ok
Thank you! Though I hate podcasts largely just because there isn’t one of them which I have heard and not thought “it would be less time consuming to just read this”
And this is why I don't subscribe
Is the WP trolling it’s own piece?
This article is nonsense. What are you even trying to say here? Do you honestly believe that it's going to entirely replace music? You know radio shows have existed for decades, right?
Every time you have a conversation that's not in song, music loses 5 hit points.
I'll ask again, since it's apparently garbage- reposting day: Are false dichotomies made of cheese or cotton candy
Keep pounding on your newspaper coffin, . Let's see what's in your pinata when the bottom falls out.
Not a fan of this take.
Music critics are literally the worst and I don’t know why the Post is paying for this stuff.
I'm just here to laugh at you and ensure you get ratio'd.
'Why would someone spend their time doing a thing different than the thing that I like?'
This is the dumbest headline/tweet I have ever read in my entire life.
Reading opinions like this make me question my decision to major in journalism. At least I know I suck at opinion writing.
Washington post is bad because it's articles are bad
I love podcasts. I have enjoyed subscribing to podcasts from places like Ireland and Canada to see what’s happening in their regions. Great to listen to on the rides to and from work.
YoucefB92500593
Sometimes journalists just think out loud and hit send.
as a podcaster i've mortally wounded music and it's currently bleeding out in a ditch
OMG UnPanderers they name drop you!!
Nobody: Wapo: here’s an essay we found behind the dumpster
'I consider them an enemy of music.' If only there was some magical way to listen to podcasts sometimes and music other times.
Are these Moving Images Killing Books? Why watch a film when you could read a novel instead.
Many of the podcasts I listen to are dramatic fiction.. like the old radio shows with voice actors playing parts.
Have you heard music lately?
This is an incredibly facile take made by, I assume, a baby bird newly hatched who has learned to peck at a keyboard.
So this guy felt like his own opinions on his own tweet that are pretty radically at odds with what the rest of society says is worthy of writing an article about? Music has been over produced and over saturated for years, even with accessible apps like Spotify and Apple Music
I’m not clicking this garbage.
This makes exactly zero sense.
Sorry I don't care what you have to have to say because you put your dumb words behind a adblocking-blocking paywall instead of a free podcast. Time to go consume content you can't monetize. Byeeeee!
You're not prepared for this ratio.
Maximum Fun, headed by Jesse Thorn of NPR, is a hotbed of great podcasts of substance, humour, and knowledge. I often love listening to their content much more than music these days, and I don't think it's nearly a waste of time. JesseThorn
You realize you don't have to publish everything someone asks you to publish, right?
Are papers like the Washington Post killing journalism or just wasting our time?
have you hear of talk radio
Another profound opinion from WAPO
The television is a right tube for boobs, I say.
Since when is music dying this is deeply stupid
Horse and Buggy complains new automobiles make too much noise.
An unnecessary hot take. What killed music is when it became a passive thing that if done as an act in and of itself, is somehow lazy.
Good podcasts exist like good music exists. Bad podcasts exist just like bad music exists. You have to find the good stuff.
Say podcast again
So true. CBS This Morning was just touting their podcast this morning. It's the worst!!
WaPo marketing research must have shown they are losing clicks to podcasts.
Do you feel as strongly about talk radio? Is NPR a waste of time?
I listen to podcasts to laugh and learn and to discover new music (to then go listen to).
And the AV club was activated in an emergency meeting.
If you have to ask, then the answer is 'no'.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: CNN - 🏆 4. / 95 Read more »
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »
Source: BuzzFeed - 🏆 730. / 51 Read more »
Source: YahooNews - 🏆 380. / 59 Read more »
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »