“To clamber through all this thorny territory with confidence and good humour is, I think, pretty remarkable. Even better: it makes me very relieved I don’t spend so much time on Twitter nowadays.” -James Marriott, The Times
Journalists Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal scour the internet for its craziest, silliest, most sociopathic content, part of an obsessive and ill-conceived attempt to extract kernels of meaning and humanity from a landscape of endless raging dumpster fires. (And sometimes they talk about other stuff, too.)
New episodes of BARPod, as it has been affectionately known for generations, come out every week at 6 a.m. Eastern time. These episodes are free. But the real action is in the premium subscription program. For just $5 per month (slightly discounted if you do an annual membership), you’ll get:
-At least three extra episodes per calendar month. These are the episodes where the hosts really let loose and express their true feelings on America, Katie’s controversial Lesbian Extinction Hypothesis (LEH), and whether gamers should be seen as genetically distinct from normal humans.
-Access to comment sections every episode. Plus you can pop into weekly open-discussion threads that will allow you to connect with, debate, and potentially stalk and/or marry and/or starry other BARPod fans.
-Early access to the free weekly episodes. You’ll get them when they’re ready instead of early Monday (usually Friday but it depends how high Katie is).
-A shoutout on the show itself if you give $20 or more per month via a “Founding Level” annual subscription. The hosts will mention your name or online handle and make fun of it if you want them to.
Still not convinced you should join this c̶u̶l̶t̶ movement? Here are a few fan-favorite episodes:
Episode 24: The Sad Tale Of @Sciencing_Bi, America's Realest Bisexual Indigenous Anthropologist: In one of the weirdest online controversies ever covered by Blocked and Reported, Katie walked Jesse through the wild, twisting tale of @Sciencing_Bi, a young anthropologist who just wanted to do good work, but who was tragically hindered from achieving this goal by the vicious anti-bisexual currents that dominate academic anthropology — and by a university hell-bent on LITERALLY working her to death (and cutting her salary 15%).
Episode 70: Why Did NPR's "Code Switch" Join The Pileon Against An Innocent Palestinian-American Businessman?: This one’s more infuriating than funny! Don’t worry, the pod is usually funny.
Episode 73: Jesse Goes On Rogan, A Racial Nichols Incident, And Drama On Lolita Twitter: Do you know about Lolita Twitter? Do you understand that it probably isn’t what you think it is? Have you ever worn a frilly, shapeless dress from the nineteenth century? If your answer to these questions is ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘what?,’ or “holy crap get me the hell out of here,” you are going to want to check out this episode.
And here are some other nice things people have said about BARPod:
“Fair warning: Their breezy banter and commitment to defending heterodox thinkers across the political spectrum will not appeal to everyone. … If being challenged and provoked isn’t your thing, by all means do not stream this one!” -Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune, naming BARPod one of his “new favorite podcasts”
“The pair regularly analyse internet controversies in clever and accessible ways, which is a balm when the internet often feels like an indecipherable cacophony of arguments, counter-arguments and counter-counter-arguments.” -George Fenwick, Stuff
“Each week, hosts Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal dissect the latest in internet outrage, employing humor, nuance, and a healthy appreciation for absurdity.” -Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Reason
And from listeners who posted reviews to Apple Podcasts:
“If you’re looking for a funny, thoughtful, opinionated podcast about news that doesn’t matter much, this is a solid choice. I never cared about any of their controversies before listening and I still don’t after, which is frankly relieving with all the cataclysm I get daily from the NYT, the WSJ, etc. Katie and Jesse, keep it up, ya punks.”
“Listening to these two quip about online stuff is quick and enjoyable. Katie in particular is someone I could develop a girl crush on, though I’m a 50-yo super straight suburban (not super-)mom. That’s why I’m not on twitter but I do lurk, and Katie’s and Jesse’s are among the few smart and witty ones I look forward to. Good work guys!”
“Been a fan of Katie and Jesse for years on Twitter. Love that they’ve come together on this podcast. A much needed antidote to much of what goes on in the digital world. Keep it up!”
Thank you for reading!
(Shannon Loys did amazing work designing BARPod’s awesome logos and graphics.)
(If you’re in a position of financial need and would like to request access to premium BARPod, click here.)
