Brace is... a decent writer with unique insight, and more importantly, the ability to self-reflect and process outside criticism, which is pretty important as a former drug addict.
19
RedRook1917 [he/him] - 23hr
Yeah I don't like this kind of navel gazing. I find this to be offensive, particularly because I listen to their podcast a lot (and others).
Podcasts have largely replaced music for me because of the very things he cynically criticizes in this piece.
First of all I don't think podcasts are 'anti-intellectual'. Sure there are downsides to the medium, but more importantly I've learned ALOT more than I would have had I been listening to the TOOL album for the 100th time. Podcasts bring up a topic, give a brief sometimes humorous overview, then I take that and go learn more about it through other methods (reading ect.). I know a lot more now than I did before listening to podcasts for daily news/politics/sports.
Second I'm sure there are some loonies that do legitimately believe Brace is their best pal. Most people I argue do not. If I met Brace on the street I wouldn't approach, let alone pretend to be his 'best pal'. Brace is an entertainer that I happen to find funny and agree with on. That's it. He's no different from people's fandoms for any other medium. No Brace, being a podcaster doesn't make you special in this regard. Please get over yourself. The other thing is as a Marxist you should understand the societal structure that leads to this modern isolation problem. People aren't becoming anti-social because of podcasts, some people turn to podcasts due to the isolated structure we live under. I work a very isolated job, it's very lonely, but it's what I need to do. Just listening to podcasts helps me stay sane. I would never pick a podcast over real socializing.
Third I think this whole piece is very demeaning and misses the whole point just so Brace can self flagellate 'man this job I work is stupid and anyone listening to me is stupid. No I won't come to your birthday party and go get a life. By the way sign up for the $20/month Patreon so I can continue to jerk myself off and give y'all the middle finger for your support.' as far as mutual resentment goes I think it's a one way street. I think he's just using this as justification for being resentful for the people that make his cushy privileged job possible. The only way I feel that way towards him, or other podcasters, is when they are openly hostile to their fans or flaunting their wealthy privileged lifestyle. I don't say anything to them though, I'm sure he's cherry picking critical comments and painting the whole fandom as that.
Like idk what Brace is looking for here. If being a podcaster sucks so bad and you're oh so resentful for the people that fund your lifestyle then just quit. Boo fucking hoo go apply to a dead end crushing retail job like 80% of the country. Join the very vermin you despise so much or STFU.
12
towhee [he/him] - 23hr
I read it as mostly him taking aim at other new media creatures who think very highly of themselves. There definitely also are people I know who listen to podcasts (which never cover anything beyond 101 level) and never read anything.
6
JustSo [she/her, any] - 15hr
I thought it was humorous. I think he's likely disgusted by how much money he makes for doing so little work, was invited to write about "what is this 'pod casting' thing?" for some site and decided write a critical piece about the medium in a self deprecating way.
It's not like he's never worked in his life. He helped unionise a brewery.
If you're super offended just switch to pirating the thing.
3
RedRook1917 [he/him] - 3hr
You and I have two different standards for self respect and tolerance for elitist classist nonsense.
This is a great read. I also didn't know any of that background information about Brace. Since I've started reading more, I've been consuming a lot less podcasts. The kids have an aversion to them as well, they call them "stories" and I don't fight them over it. I just subject them to my music which to them is just as bad, but sometimes we vibe and it's all good. I think reading and not mindlessly listening to a podcast has built a wall up between me and these creators. Which is good. I care a lot less about what is happening online. His breif point about hating silence in real. I fight against it regularly. I've come to like silence, or at least some appropriate background music.
I still don't understand how people just walk around with earbuds in constantly listening to something. I'll see people driving with ear buds in and I have convinced myself that they simply find it to cumbersome to take them out and store them. I know they're listening to something through. I tried this once with headphones and found the experience terrifying. Never again.
The way he lays out the history of podcasts and is interaction of the political landscape I feel rings true. I was very much a listener of This American Life in podcast form. I tried starting a podcast around that time which suffered from a rapidly growing arms race in the fandom I was building it for. I'm glad I stopped trying to maintain an archive of that on the internet. I'm very sure it was wildly problematic by today's standards. Seeing where those people ended up makes me think I dodged a bullet by giving up on the project.
Anyway. I'd read a lot more of this kind of stuff from Brice. It's good, really good.
7
Horse {they/them} - 1day
I still don’t understand how people just walk around with earbuds in constantly listening to something.
for me it's the 'tism, the predictable noise of an audio book, radio drama, music, or podcast is good for my head
7
RedWizard [he/him, comrade/them] - 1day
You would think that my ADHD would work similarly but I have the opposite reaction when I have headphones in, which is I become anxious that I'm not hearing something or someone I need to, and thus missing something important or forcing someone to get my attention. Naturally I already have this issue, so its like a doubling effect.
SteamedHamberder in podcasts
Brace is…. A good writer?
https://thebaffler.com/outbursts/the-hatred-of-podcasting-beldenBrace is... a decent writer with unique insight, and more importantly, the ability to self-reflect and process outside criticism, which is pretty important as a former drug addict.
Yeah I don't like this kind of navel gazing. I find this to be offensive, particularly because I listen to their podcast a lot (and others).
Podcasts have largely replaced music for me because of the very things he cynically criticizes in this piece.
First of all I don't think podcasts are 'anti-intellectual'. Sure there are downsides to the medium, but more importantly I've learned ALOT more than I would have had I been listening to the TOOL album for the 100th time. Podcasts bring up a topic, give a brief sometimes humorous overview, then I take that and go learn more about it through other methods (reading ect.). I know a lot more now than I did before listening to podcasts for daily news/politics/sports.
Second I'm sure there are some loonies that do legitimately believe Brace is their best pal. Most people I argue do not. If I met Brace on the street I wouldn't approach, let alone pretend to be his 'best pal'. Brace is an entertainer that I happen to find funny and agree with on. That's it. He's no different from people's fandoms for any other medium. No Brace, being a podcaster doesn't make you special in this regard. Please get over yourself. The other thing is as a Marxist you should understand the societal structure that leads to this modern isolation problem. People aren't becoming anti-social because of podcasts, some people turn to podcasts due to the isolated structure we live under. I work a very isolated job, it's very lonely, but it's what I need to do. Just listening to podcasts helps me stay sane. I would never pick a podcast over real socializing.
Third I think this whole piece is very demeaning and misses the whole point just so Brace can self flagellate 'man this job I work is stupid and anyone listening to me is stupid. No I won't come to your birthday party and go get a life. By the way sign up for the $20/month Patreon so I can continue to jerk myself off and give y'all the middle finger for your support.' as far as mutual resentment goes I think it's a one way street. I think he's just using this as justification for being resentful for the people that make his cushy privileged job possible. The only way I feel that way towards him, or other podcasters, is when they are openly hostile to their fans or flaunting their wealthy privileged lifestyle. I don't say anything to them though, I'm sure he's cherry picking critical comments and painting the whole fandom as that.
Like idk what Brace is looking for here. If being a podcaster sucks so bad and you're oh so resentful for the people that fund your lifestyle then just quit. Boo fucking hoo go apply to a dead end crushing retail job like 80% of the country. Join the very vermin you despise so much or STFU.
I read it as mostly him taking aim at other new media creatures who think very highly of themselves. There definitely also are people I know who listen to podcasts (which never cover anything beyond 101 level) and never read anything.
I thought it was humorous. I think he's likely disgusted by how much money he makes for doing so little work, was invited to write about "what is this 'pod casting' thing?" for some site and decided write a critical piece about the medium in a self deprecating way.
It's not like he's never worked in his life. He helped unionise a brewery.
If you're super offended just switch to pirating the thing.
You and I have two different standards for self respect and tolerance for elitist classist nonsense.
Archive
This is a great read. I also didn't know any of that background information about Brace. Since I've started reading more, I've been consuming a lot less podcasts. The kids have an aversion to them as well, they call them "stories" and I don't fight them over it. I just subject them to my music which to them is just as bad, but sometimes we vibe and it's all good. I think reading and not mindlessly listening to a podcast has built a wall up between me and these creators. Which is good. I care a lot less about what is happening online. His breif point about hating silence in real. I fight against it regularly. I've come to like silence, or at least some appropriate background music.
I still don't understand how people just walk around with earbuds in constantly listening to something. I'll see people driving with ear buds in and I have convinced myself that they simply find it to cumbersome to take them out and store them. I know they're listening to something through. I tried this once with headphones and found the experience terrifying. Never again.
The way he lays out the history of podcasts and is interaction of the political landscape I feel rings true. I was very much a listener of This American Life in podcast form. I tried starting a podcast around that time which suffered from a rapidly growing arms race in the fandom I was building it for. I'm glad I stopped trying to maintain an archive of that on the internet. I'm very sure it was wildly problematic by today's standards. Seeing where those people ended up makes me think I dodged a bullet by giving up on the project.
Anyway. I'd read a lot more of this kind of stuff from Brice. It's good, really good.
for me it's the 'tism, the predictable noise of an audio book, radio drama, music, or podcast is good for my head
You would think that my ADHD would work similarly but I have the opposite reaction when I have headphones in, which is I become anxious that I'm not hearing something or someone I need to, and thus missing something important or forcing someone to get my attention. Naturally I already have this issue, so its like a doubling effect.
Super relatable.
he's the gay HST