Reviews are freaking pointless

I’ve noticed a trend lately in podcasting. There is a significant increase in the number of “Podcast review” podcasts. Instead of producing their own content many of these shows rely on everyone else’s content to do their own show. Oddly enough this method of podcasting seems to work very well. Fellow podcasters submit their podcast into the review queue, with a secret to desire to be praised and put up on a podcast pedestol, or more importantly to do a little self-promotion. Exactly what qualifies these review podcasts to be any sort of credible source? Did they receive a mandate from the podcast hierarchy that their solemn tasks is to filter out the good from the bad. There is alot to be taken into consideration when listening to a review of any sort. Most importantly is the reviewers personal preference, if historically this reviewer enjoys family safe podcasts and hates profanity laced podcasts, then there’s a pretty good chance that their going to ALWAYS hate a podcast filled with profanity. This review is only relevant to someone with the exact preferences of the reviewer. The act of reviewing and rating podcasts is almost a certain way to gain popularity in the numerous “top whatever gazillion” podcast ranking system you subscribe to. Inevitably podcasters want feedback, whether they can or cannot attain that desired feedback from the listening audience, the idea of getting their podcast reviewed guarantees some sort of feedback. After one podcast gets reviewed another fellow podcaster will look at that review and say to themselves…”I bet I could get a better review then that”…then they will submit their podcast for review. Before long you have an endless cycle of competition for the best review, this will undoubtedly draw attention from the podosphere because somewhere in this coo of audio listenership, you have gained an audience by simply saying what you do and don’t like. That’s like getting a prize when you say to the eye doctor “I think number 2 was better….or was it number 1, ah I don’t know for sure.”  In my own humble opinion, I think that anyone who relies on reviews to choose ANYTHING demonstrates a lack of adventure and a lack of free will to choose for yourself what YOU like and what YOU don’t like. Much like reviewing podcasts is the concept of the Podcast award. My following thoughts and comments come in regards to the Podcast Awards that were handed out last month. I can’t even begin to comprehend how such an award with such a faulty voting system can mean anything to anyone. In this award you were encouraged to vote everyday. What is the deal with that? Voting shouldn’t be a daily task, a burden now installed into my daily routine. Obviously this voting system originated in Florida. For a community as small as podcasting…and yes it is still a small community, an award simply doesn’t have as much affect as some might desire. A lot of Award winners are flaunting their podcast as “award-winning” This in reality has about the same significance as an employee of the month developing a god complex. It’s not that big of a deal, you won an award, however I have a hard time looking back ten years from now and seeing your names in the record books, color me cynical but I think the Nobel peace prize is always going to be on a higher level then any podcast award.

Actually, you know what, I take it all back. See I don’t want anything I’ve said to persuade you to do anything that you normally wouldn’t do. I don’t want you to stop listening to podcast review podcasts; I don’t want you to start listening to them either. I don’t want you to stop participating in voting for a podcast award, and I don’t want you to start if you had no intention. I just want you to stop and think about things for yourself. YOU have an opinion; you should be able to decide what is crap and what is not. YOU have the right to like something whether it gets a good review, or whether it is award winning. Don’t allow your own opinion on ANYTHING to be jeopardized simply because other “Qualified” people tell you what is good and what is not. Be your own person. When all is said and done ALL podcasters are just people sitting behind a microphone making a show they hope listeners will be attracted to and like. Don’t come into something with a preprogrammed idea. Just be your own person with your own thoughts, ideas, and opinions.