Podcasting is for babies
Now undeniably in my mid-30’s, I’ve come to accept that there are certain trends that I’m just not going to bother giving a shit about. Just as my Mom will never really understand the internet, there are now cultural innovations that are completely lost on me. Call it Generational Giving-Up.
For example, custom ringtones. Thanks to technology, my cell phone can now chirp out 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop.” But why would I ever want it to do that? If I really liked that song, why not just buy the real thing on iTunes? Do I hate my fellow humans enough that I feel they should be forced to listen to my musical obsession du jour every time a random friend calls?
(And don’t tell me that Top-40 ringtones help you tell that your phone is ringing, rather than someone else’s. It’s called vibrate, people. I never wonder if someone else’s phone is shaking in my pocket.)
Other things I’ve officially given up on:
- SMS abbreviation.
- Decyphering hacker-codez.
- Screensavers.
- Custom skins, icons and cursors.
One item that had been circling the rim of my mental wastebasket was podcasting. I admired the technology, if not the user interface. I just didn’t see a need for it. I can barely keep up with contents of my TiVo. Having additional stuff banked just didn’t make sense.
Then two things changed.
First, iTunes added podcast support. It’s not perfect, but for a 1.0 version it feels pretty intuitive. Most importantly, it keeps another application off my dock.
Second, I had a kid. And with her, came a revelation: podcasting is for babies.
Or more specifically, podcasting is for parents who have both hands full feeding an infant.
In our house, we’ve set a rule that the baby doesn’t see any TV until she’s at least two, which means no television while feeding. Since it’s almost impossible to read while holding a squirming infant in your lap, mealtime gets a bit dull. But through the magic of podcasting, I can easily catch up on all the back episodes of all the NPR shows I’ve missed.
My favorites include:
The Business with Variety’s Claude Brodesser
The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell
iTunes New Music Tuesday
So consider me a convert. At least until my daughter progresses to solid food.
Articles
August 6th, 2005 at 11:32 am
The Business with Brodesser is wicked. Always excellent, always eye-opening. Just discovered it on the podcast a few weeks ago… love the podcast. Wish Ira Glass was podcasted…
August 6th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
Congrats on joining the podcast craze! However, the shows that you’re listening to don’t exactly qualify as “podcasts.” With the exception of iTunes New Music Tuesday, they are pre-existing radio shows converted to podcast format. While there’s nothing wrong with this, you oughta try some podcasts with original content that have not already been broadcast on radio. My suggestions would be The Bitterest Pill or Coverville for starters, or (in what can only be described as an unbelievably shameless plug) my own show. These are by ordinary people who create their own show with no outside help or professional experience and, surprisingly, the shows are quite interesting.
I do like the fact that NPR’s starting to create podcasts of some of their shows. Still waiting for A Prairie Home Companion podcast, though.
August 6th, 2005 at 12:20 pm
You should also check out “This Week in Tech” by the former TechTV Screensavers. As a fellow techno-geek, I assure you that you’ll love it.
August 6th, 2005 at 4:13 pm
I’m addicted to NPR and have a baby girl due in September, so thanks for the heads up.
BTW - it sounds like you’re a Mac user, so let me tell you that the only screen saver you’ll ever need (and want) is i-photo. When your computer goes to sleep, the screen cycles through all of your i-photo images. You can see photos of baby girl, family, friends, etc. Then again, you can always just pick up the phone and vibrate them.
August 6th, 2005 at 5:28 pm
Yeah, I remember making that rule too.
Don’t be too hard on yourself when you end up breaking it (like every other parent I’ve ever met). For us, the key is no commercials. My son is 4; he’s never seen a commercial. We stick to DVD’s or non-commercial shows we TiVo off of Noggin or Nickelodeon (DragonTales, Dora The Explorer, Arthur, etc.).
Baby Einstein DVD’s are crack for infants, and actually rather relaxing for me too.
Also, TiVo’ing reruns of Mr. Rogers from PBS is just a nice thing to do. Everyone feels better after 30 minutes with Fred, may he rest in peace.
C.
August 7th, 2005 at 5:40 am
You’re one step ahead of me, as I don’t even know what podcasting is. So worried am I about overwhelming myself with any of the constantly-created new technologies, that I don’t even want to look it up for fear of getting interested.
I felt the same way about something called “blogging” until just a couple months ago. I hope to continue to feel that way about PDAs so I don’t get swept away by them, forever, never to come back. I maintain this stance in honor of those friends I’ve lost to the Palm Pilot and Blackberry lifestyles.
Add to this list of turn-the-other-ways: the study of wine, recent seasons of The Sopranos, video games, and body-building.
As Gertrude Stein said (and if it was true then, surely it must be gospel now):
I guess that’s why I have 122 feeds in my RSS reader. Sheesh.
August 7th, 2005 at 12:12 pm
John ever think about Podcasting something of your own?
http://www.iRegift.com
August 7th, 2005 at 5:34 pm
However, the shows that you’re listening to don’t exactly qualify as “podcasts.�
Sure they do. Podcast is a method of delivery, not a statement of originality. It doesn’t matter if a program was previously broadcast. If it is an audio program to which someone can subscribe, download automatically, and then listen to at their convenience, then it’s a podcast.
August 7th, 2005 at 7:41 pm
Echoing what Craig said above, I remember making those kinds of rules as well when my daughters were born two years ago. I think the first one that was broken was that we would never take them to any fast food restaurant. Of course, now several of them have fruit dishes and are just all-too-convenient. Also, Baby Einstein is most definitely baby crack — and my girls really have learned a good bit from those videos, like how to recognize different animals, etc. I wish they used real music, and not sythesized tracks, because MIDI gets annoying after a while — and who wants to hear the classics butchered, anyway?
August 8th, 2005 at 7:59 am
I love the Dawn and Drew Show. Your mileage may vary, though…
August 8th, 2005 at 1:02 pm
I found one pretty interesting podcast that surely should interest readers of this excellent site: the Screenwriter’s Podcast by Gary Watson, also on iTunes. There are yet to be interviewees of the caliber of Mr. August, but the host is getting there. Besides, hearing how B movie schlockmeister Rolfe Kanesfsky’s can write 50+ screenplays in half a lifetime is pretty darn fascinating.
August 8th, 2005 at 3:44 pm
check out cubscast.com for all you chicago cubs fans out in LA… great show.
August 8th, 2005 at 8:02 pm
I thought the Podracing sequence in The Phantom Menace was brilliant.
August 8th, 2005 at 9:00 pm
Yeah, you really can’t get down on yourself when you don’t follow through on that whole no TV thing. And you can’t hold on to it just to hold onto it. There’s alot of upside. Baby Einstein is pretty incredible. My son’s watched them from about 3 months to maybe 15 months… and then we just stopped (about the time he started getting into the Wiggles). But now I have a month old daughter and so we got some B.E. CD’s for the car and Brendan (now a year removed from having seen or heard any B.E. stuff) can tell you what DVD the music is from and what the accompanying images are. That’s amazing! From the back seat, he’ll say, “Monkeys!” and sure enought it’s the freaking monkey music.
That’s good development… and you can’t get that from media starvation. So, load her up with some of that baby crack.
August 9th, 2005 at 7:15 am
I rented Overnight from Block Buster last night. Wow, if anyone was ever undeserving of any success it’s Troy Duffy. It was incredibly uncomfortable to watch. He makes a $300K spec sale and just self implodes. It’s pretty much a guide of WHAT NOT TO DO in Hollywood.
Rule #1. Don’t F@%& with Harvey.
http://www.iRegift.com
August 10th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
Your bit about giving up on technology is actually part of Douglas Adams’ law of technology:
‘Anything invented before you’re about 15 is just how the world is. Anything invented between 15 and 35 is cool and interesting and you might make some money from. Anything invented after you’re 35 is just wrong.’
At least, that’s the gist of it.
August 10th, 2005 at 11:19 pm
My grandmother heard a billy idol song that was my cousin’s ringtone the other day, and said, “If I had that on my phone, I think it would be the making of me.”
I doubt she would put it on her cell phone. I don’t know that she actually owns a cell phone. But even after 35, one can comment (and selectively participate) jovially about newfound gadgets and improved higgledy piggledy techno magic. And, it seems, Billy Idol.
August 13th, 2005 at 7:43 pm
This is the most sensible thing I have read in weeks.
September 16th, 2005 at 8:20 am
I use TV as a training tool with my toddler. From about six months on, she would watch Sesame Street every day. She thought it was fascinating, and that the people in the big box were talking directly to her.
She knew her alphabet at 18 months, learned letter sounds by two, and can read and sound out small words at three. She also knows and uses some Spanish (thanks to Dora).
I’m not saying that TV did all that — having a stay-at-home mom probably did. But some of the educational videos were nice aids in the process.
And I do agree that the Baby Einstein videos are baby crack. Plus, some of the DVDs have multiple language tracks. It’s great.