The sacred art of the podcast rotation
A podcast rotation is years in the making. A sacred art that must be protected before everything is thrown off balance.
The decade of podcasts. Well, that’s a lie. Podcasts have existed in one form or another for decades. Long before Spotify shows and Youtube series, people were tuning into radio hosts, talk shows, and audio books. Of course there are multiple forms of media that include conversations such as content creation in the past few decades where the person talking to the camera seems like your friend. There has just always been something irresistible about listening to other people talk.
There was a lapse in desire for auditory entertainment other than music for a period of time. When content creation first took off, people were hungry for the feeling it brought. When the person on your screen was talking directly to you, telling you a story, sharing their opinions, taking you along on their journey, or hanging out with their friends, including you into the plans. We became almost oversaturated with this form of content, understandably so. The shift back to a high demand of auditory entertainment is fairly recent in the past few years. Suddenly everyone has a podcast but with a visual element this time.
Although some have the mindset of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” (myself included), a large portion of the audience is no longer satisfied with just an auditorial experience. Adding the visual element to podcasts opened the genre to a completely new audience demographic and it seems like there’s nothing people want more than to sit down and watch their favorite podcasters on whatever streaming service of their choice.
PERSONALLY, I am an avid audio only listener when it comes to my podcast rotation. For a special treat every now and then I’ll turn the video version on just to spice things up. However, I have crafted what I believe to be the perfect weekly podcast rotation, infiltrated into my daily routine. My morning routine starts with turning my podcast of the day on. It’s early in the morning, who doesn’t love a good conversation with their parasocial close personal friends? Listening to a podcast while getting ready for work / during the commute mimics a feeling of educating yourself (even if said podcast in question is about pop culture gossip) (I still find that to be HIGHLY educational). The evening routine follows the same pattern. Again, there is something soothing about feeling included in a conversation while getting ready for bed and preparing the house for the following day. Then there is the in between, where whatever chores need to be done will be accompanied by whatever podcast fell on that day of the week. It might be a strong placebo effect but I seem to have convinced myself they keep my brain alive.
After years of trial and error, I have curated what I firmly believe is an elite podcast rotation. Am I overly attached to people who don’t know I exist? Potentially. But that’s a conversation for another day. For now, here’s what my week tends to look like: Monday’s belong to Armchair Expert. Tuesdays are reserved for Boy Problems. Wednesdays and Friday;s are dedicated to Katie Maloney and Dayna Kathan with Disrespectfully. Thursdays are currently dry following Emma Chamberlain’s departure from Anything Goes ( Emma we miss you). Applications are welcomed. Every now and then we have a guest appearance based on a case - by - case basis.
Why is this the perfect mix? Monday’s start professionally. We get to listen to an expert in a field of study I would otherwise never explore. This is where the educational aspect comes in and I feel some repairs beginning in response to the brain rot I’ve consumed by the rest of the internet. Then we have a little fun with Liz Plank and Boy Problems, yet she is the perfect balance of light hearted, introspective, and politically up to date because of course we will not be allowing any political ignorance into our rotation. Believe it or not it is possible to be up to date on current states of our world while still experiencing entertainment and fun, although others have yet to catch on. Katie and Dayna fit right into this category. I am a Vanderpump Rules truther and hearing these two bring honesty and truth with their spunky attitudes to my ears is all I needed and more. Ending the week off with Dax and Monica recounting stories with their listeners is the perfect end to what was likely a hectic week. There is of course room for a random guest interview appearance here and there for whoever came out of the wood work that week.
Interestingly enough, if I am sitting down on a plane or just on the couch, I can’t listen to an audio-only podcast. I find it easier to process what’s being said with the visual element. Yet on a drive, running errands, or preparing for the day/night my brain processes audio much better. I wonder what parts of our brain are activated at different times and how that influences what we process and prefer to consume.
Podcasts may have been around long before content creators started setting up microphones in their living rooms, but this new wave has introduced an entirely new audience to the medium. Whether you prefer audio-only, video podcasts, or a combination of both, there is something undeniably comforting about spending time with the same voice every week. Maybe it’s friendship. Maybe it’s routine. Maybe it’s just dopamine. Either way, I will be tuning into my podcast of the day tomorrow.
Shelby Ferguson
