💕Free Podentines 4u💋Natch Beaut's Jackie Johnson💅🏻
💌Podcast The Newsletter is your weekly love letter to podcasts and the people who make them.💌
Happy Valentine’s Day! If you are reading this, I love you.
I am going to assume that many of you have forgotten about this holiday but I HAVE NOT. Below, please find some podcast valentines that I made with my bare hands. Please take a moment to enjoy them yourselves (they are for you, from me) but also steal them by taking screen shots of them and sending them to anyone you forgot to send a valentine to. You’re welcome. (The third one is a haiku and that’s why it sucks so much.)
xoxo lp
ps If you are pleased with Podcast The Newsletter, please tell a friend!
👋q & a & q & a & q & a👋
Natch Beaut’s Jackie Johnson
Jackie Johnson is the host of Natch Beaut, a comedy and beauty podcast AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE HUMANS OF ALL TIME. Follow Jackie on Twitter here.
2019 was QUITE THE YEAR for you. But you always showed up to your show, every damn week. Was it tough to stay positive on your show? Did your show help you through all the shit you've been through this year?
Natch Beaut absolutely got me through last year. The hunnies (my listeners) were the driving force behind my resilience. When I announced my divorce, they reached out in droves, from all over the world, and got truly personal with me, and I will never ever forget it. It reminded me just how sacred podcasts and the relationship between a host and an audience can be. I am so honored to have my hunnies! Staying positive actually wasn't hard, because recording Natch Beaut is my light and my joy. Recording my cover songs every week (like my 100th episode's cover song, Bocreamian Snatchsody, which is peak in terms of just how silly my work can be) really, really helped me keep in touch with my silly side during a very un-silly time. I was very sad that day and even cried in between takes. You can kind of hear it in the song. But the silliness kept me going and kept my inspiration, and honestly, my desire to continue, from running dry.
Women are criticized for their voices on podcasts all the time. What is your relationship to yours?
Back when I was still reading itunes reviews (I stopped very early on) I remember a good amount of the negative ones commenting on my voice being too deep, loud, annoying, etc. And I just sit over here and say, hey buddy, tell me something I don't know. I have been getting attention, good and bad, for my unique voice my entire life. I am not surprised or offended by anything, and I've truly heard it all. I know my voice is special and not for everyone. And I like not sounding like everyone else! I wouldn't have made it this far in my life if I had an issue with my loud ass deep southern voice.
If someone has never listened to Natch Beaut (which means they do NOT LISTEN TO MY ADVICE) which episode would you suggest they start with?
First off, thank you for recommending me, honey! You know we love an old school word of mouth recommendation. That is a hard question, as Natch Beaut really runs the gamut. Sometimes we are serious (Self-Acceptance with Jeffrey Marsh), sometimes we laugh and go way off topic (No Mo Stace with Throwing Shade is a personal fave), and sometimes I just sing for an hour (my recent musical intro cover song spectacular episode.) I would ask them what they're mostly into and give a rec based on that, like a server at the Cheesecake Factory would do! That menu is EXTENSIVE, just like Natch.
What makes a good podcast host?
Someone who is passionate, but most importantly, someone who works HARD. The game is strong and new pods are poppin' up left and right. You can't just show up and talk for an hour and sit back and collect the checks/notoriety. You have to step your shit up. Do your research. Come up with segments. Listen back and learn from your work; edit out pauses and flubs. Follow through with grand ideas. Bust your butt getting high profile guests. Put in the time, sweetie! People are giving you an hour of their precious time- show that you are grateful of that time by putting in your time, too.
You are a huge advocate for animals and cruelty-free beauty products. Has this harmed or help you in growing the show?
Who knows honestly. I'm sure the vegan thing turns some folks off, but they're on their own journey and we wish them the best. The bottom line might suffer at first or here and there, but I have found that authenticity to yourself and your beliefs is the true success to longevity. I have most definitely turned down multiple brand partnerships due to animal testing policies. I know, I'm such a good person. It's exhausting!
💎BTW💎
🎙️The Biblical story of the great flood is so interesting because some sort of flood story appears in nearly every single culture, and I’m guessing it isn’t because there was an actual flood that covered the entire world, but because the human longing for a story of redemption and starting anew is universal. The same can be said, I guess, for the song Who Let The Dogs Out by the Baha Men. On 99% Invisible’s Whomst Among Us Let The Dogs Out, Roman Mars interviews Ben Sisto, who took it upon himself to dig into the history of the song Who Let The Dogs Out. Ben discovered the song actually originated on the radio airwaves, on YouTube, and in football stadiums as early as the 1980s. The Baha Men became famous for it in 2020, but the idea of “letting dogs out,” the barking, the song’s beat…those things have been around for awhile. Perhaps Noah himself was humming Who Let The Dogs Out while building his ark. This actually makes a lot of sense, and you literally can’t tell me he wasn’t. And that is the wonderful thing about the Bible. Anyway, Roman and Ben go down the rabbit hole together, to try to figure out the origin of this song and whether or not art is made by individuals, or a force much greater. Because Who Let The Dogs out is actually a statement, not a question (nobody is asking who let the dogs out?,) the episode closes up with segment on movie titles, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, that have a similar format, and what that really means.
🎙️There are a lot of “secrets revealed!” podcasts out there, but Family Secrets is different, thanks to the masterful hosting job of Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance. Because Dani is a writer and storyteller, and because many of her guests are also published authors (like Michael Hainey of S3E1, who wrote After Visiting Friends) the interviews are lyrical the stories expertly unfold before the listener. In Michael’s episode, The Lobster Shift, Michael talks about discovering that a secret about the death of his father had been buried, and that finding the truth about his father allowed him to truly know his mother, and himself. I listened to The Lobster Shift twice, purely because I thought it was so well done and I wanted to study it.
🎙️Inside Voices is a show that gives the extremely friendly and loveable podcaster Kevin Porter (you may recognize his voice from Gilmore Guys) the platform to get inside the heads of other podcasters. He highlights their shows (=makes his guests listen to clips of themselves) and asks them about how their shows are made. He even asks them about their relationships with their actual voices—a question I love asking podcasters. (Nicole Byer has a shrill voice, Amir Blumenfeld has a nasal voice, Megan Batoon has a pointy voice.) Kevin is the perfect person to be hosting this show. He understands podcasts and is so kind, open, and empathetic, which allows his guests to be vulnerable.
🎙️I love podcasters interviewing podcasters about podcasts (hi, Skye Pillsbury!) and also Good One, the show where Jesse David Fox interviews comedians about their jokes. (Two stand-out episodes are Anthony Jeselnik's Three Flights and Gilbert Gottfried's The Aristocrats.) On a bonus episode of Good One, the tables are turned and Jesse is interviewed by Josh Gondleman, who does such a good job I think he should do a tour of every interview podcast and interview the host. (I’d also love for him to visit the cast of Gay Future and interview them. That’d be fun, those guys are a HOOT.) Just as Jesse helps his guests break down what makes a joke so good, Josh and Jesse get to the bottom of what makes Good One so good. And we get some good Good One news: moving forward, Good One will be weekly, and it looks like there will be some creative changes in format. GOOD.
🎙️There are SO MANY comedy podcasts where comedians interview other comedians. But not many that talk about god, religion, and belief. Who’s Your God? does, so you get to hear comedians you love talk about something you probably haven’t heard them talk about before. I discover a new depth to funny people like Brandie Posey, Caitlin Gill, Solomon Gregorio, and Guy Branum. Who’s Your God? is a comedy podcast—hosts Amy Miller and Steve Hernandez are hysterical stand-ups. But what I really admire about them is how incredibly open minded they are. This is a podcast that is more geared toward how we THINK about religion, not about which religions we actual subscribe to. Amy and Steve ask every guest: if you were going to make your own religion, what are the three principals you would have?
🎙️Speaking of GOD, Kevin Porter (remember him, above?) also hosts Good Christian Fun, and the most recent episode is with Jackie Johnson (remember her, above? Of course you must!) On Good Christian Fun, Kevin and his co-host Caroline Ely explore Christian pop-culture with funny guests. It’s for people who believe stuff and people who do not, much more about the pop culture that springs from Christian belief (Christian hip hop compilation albums, Christian anime, A Walk To Remember, etc.) than the actual belief. If you’re confused about the delicate balance of this show as I initially was (is it respectful or snarky!?) listen to episode 0, Kevin explains. Jackie’s episode is a blast because everything Jackie talks about is inherently fun to hear. She talks about the Texas Christian band Forty Days.
🎙️Uncover is an investigative series from CBC podcasts, and the new season covers The Satanic Panic—a period of time in the 80s when Satanic cults were widely believed to be preying on children, torturing and terrorizing them as part of dark rituals. The aftermath was quite messy, full of false allegations and criminal trials that tore lives apart. The first two episodes of the show set the scene and provide audio of some disturbing interviews of the people whose lives were shattered along the way. One woman says she has scars on the inside of her mouth from biting down on it when she was hearing the stories of the children describing the torture they were forced to endure—none of it true. This kind of “what went wrong?” podcast is popular right now for a reason, it’s very compelling. This is a story I don’t know enough about, and after two episodes of this season of Uncover, I have a lot of questions. Can’t wait to see how many of them get answered. This series is warming me up for the book You’re Wrong About fans know that Sarah Marshall is working on about The Satanic Panic. This season of Uncover is great so far, but nobody will be able to cover the story with more wit and overall intelligence than Sarah Marshall. And there will be another podcast about The Satanic Panic coming soon, Gimlet’s Conviction (coming February 25.)
🎙️The first season of Motive begins with the mysterious death of a college student studying in Spain—her body was found below the balcony of her tour guide, Manu. The death was deemed an accident by authorities, but after other young women started coming forward with allegations of rape by the same tour guide, the stories all started to snowball, making it harder for Manu’s story fade into the background. I a) studied abroad and was so stupid I cannot believe I did not die and 2) have a friend who did die studying abroad. So far this show is shaking me to my core. I underlined a quote mentioned in episode 3 with my brain: “If you’re robbed while you’re drunk, everyone still understands that’s a robbery. Or if you’re beaten up while you’re drunk, everyone still understands that’s an assault.” Why is the same not true for victims of sexual assault? Like Chasing Cosby, this does a great job highlighting the voices of women who clearly have been empowered by #MeToo. These women are able to pull their stories together with others and become stronger than they ever thought they could be.
🎙️Chelsea Weber-Smith (who both knows her shit and is very funny) was on Backstory with a story about the Gay Agenda, which led me to bingeing episodes of her show American Hysteria, which “explores the fantastical thinking and irrational fears of Americans through the lens of moral panics, urban legends, and conspiracy theories.” One of my favorite episodes was about Teenage Sex. A closer look at the messages we give teenagers (and their Oprah-watching moms) about sex gets weirder and weirder the closer you look, and Chelsea connects the dots to prove it’s the source of many societal problems. She brings up the urban myth about the man with the hook who attacks teenage smoochers in the car on Lovers Lane, which made me think of…
🎙️…Feminist Folklore, which I’m sad to report isn’t releasing anymore episodes. It’s intelligent, sharp, and hosts Rachael and Carlea are the kind of people you want to get a drink with. Rachael and Carlea examine how fairy tales, myths, and legends from around the world express cultural attitudes about women and shape our beliefs about gender and sexuality. The first part of each episode always feels like a sweet storytime—Rachael, and Carlea tell a tale you’ve probably heard many times before, probably before falling asleep as a child. But then, BLAMMO! They start picking out things you’ve never thought of before, about female oppression, abuse, and representation. And suddenly you say to yourself, “THIS IS WHY THE WORLD IS SO FUCKED UP. IT’S GOING TO TAKE THOUSANDS OF DECADES TO FIX ALL THIS!” I love all of the eps, they’re awfully addictive, but a personal favorite was An Abenaki Witch, an ancient story that bares resemblance to the urban legend about the couple that is attacked by a man with a hook for a hand while they’re smooching in a parked car. I say this is my favorite episode, but that’s just because it’s the last one I listened to. I probably would say that about all of them.
🎙️I’m so in awe of what Amelia Hruby is doing for Fifty Feminist States, a roadtrip / audio diary that tracks down and interviews feminists in all fifty states. The show feels really local and unique, but it also makes an important statement about America as a whole. Amelia connected with La Cocina in San Francisco for a Fifty Feminist States: California episode. La Cocina (a Tink client!) is a nonprofit that supports low-income food entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. Amelia invited La Cocina chef Binita Pradhan to talk about immigrating from Nepal and how her restaurant, Bini’s Kitchen, supports the people in the Bay Area, and how La Cocina made Bini’s Kitchen possible.
🎙️I love Mogul, a show about hip hop’s most iconic moments, but I somehow missed season two entirely. (Shame on me.) Fortunately, I caught an episode of Dissect interviewing Mogul host Brandon Jenkins. Brandon dives into season two of Mogul and I became really desperate to listen to it, ASAP. Brandon talks about how producers were able to make the season FEEL so much more Miami than NYC. If you love Mugul, music, storytelling, or are interested in taking a peek behind the curtain of a beautifully produced show, you simply must listen.
🎙️Did anyone really need this episode of The Daily, where we are subjected to hearing from Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno?
🎙️TBH, on the surface The Lonely Palette (a podcast about art history) doesn’t sound like a podcast I’d want to listen to (I was OWNED by my art history classes in college and have been scarred ever since.) But Calen Cross recommended this episode in The Bello Best 100 of 2019, and I listen to the Bello people. Behold The Monkey is about the Ecce Homo, or what The New York Times has called “the worst art restoration project of all time.” (You remember, an 80-year-old church parishioner in Spain took it upon herself to fix the ancient painting and she completely botched the job.) The best part of this episode was listening to people describe the painting, because while I have seen Ecce Homo before, it was not directly in front of me while I was listening, and the audio descriptions were helping my brain fill in the gaps. I forced myself not to Google image the restored painting until the episode was over. Not to be hyperbolic, but when I did see the painting I was truly disturbed, I felt physically strange. Thinking about visual art with my ears is new to me, and this episode was so good I think I’ll check out more of The Lonely Palette.
🎙️Nocturne is a show about who we are and what the world is at night, and the world that it creates is so unique that even when I am listening to it during the day, I feel like it is the night. It describes itself as “essay radio,” a mix of audio storytelling, documentary, fiction and sound-art. I love the site description: Under cover of darkness, our thoughts and feelings can take on strange new shapes, sometimes barely recognizable as our own. And the pulse of the world seems to alter too, sort of creating a curtain of privacy around our behaviors and even our appearance. Do I truly know you if I only know the daytime you? The latest episode, Do The Thing, is about a black belt test that takes a sleepless 48 hours, and on the second night students arrive to an unknown location, blindfolded, in the dark, and are forced to fight.
🎙️I was so excited about 🎼Radio-TO-piahhhh🎼’s new show Over The Road (an eight-part series hosted by “Long Haul Paul” Marhoefer that brings you into the world of long haul truckers) that it’s launch date, February 20, felt very far away. The Kitchen Sisters knew this would happen!!! And to satisfy our hunger for trucker content, they released Deep Fried Fuel, A Biodiesel Kitchen Vision, a story about a truck stop in Texas that was saved by Willie Nelson’s biodiesel processing plant. Next up on The Kitchen Sisters road-trip is Fuel City in downtown Dallas, home to “longhorn cattle, oil well, waterfalls, bikini clad “pool models,” DJs, and the best Texas tacos for miles around.” Can’t wait.
🎙️I love you!